


Bloody Memories

by LyndaBehling



Series: The Vampire's Lament [1]
Category: Original Work, originally posted on FictionPress, published
Genre: Multi, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-19
Updated: 2014-09-17
Packaged: 2018-02-13 20:18:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 75,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2163879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyndaBehling/pseuds/LyndaBehling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Angie Statton inherits her Great Aunt's house, only to find a vampire trapped in the attic. He's monstrous, annoying, and they loathe each other at first sight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Broken Heart

“Angie, don’t you think it’s about time for you to stop moping around and actually do something with your life?” my mother asked sharply.

“No.” I replied bluntly.

We both sat at the tiny, round table that took up most of the room in my mother’s galley-sized kitchen.  She had to bring in a chair from the other room in order to sit down with me.  Right now she was wedged between the table and the oven, and I wondered how she was going to get up when the time came.

Mom was closer to fifty than forty, sharp-eyed with short black hair cut stylishly.  She kept herself active and ate right, staving off osteoporosis as much as she could.  She lived alone in her Queens apartment, that is until I dropped in a week ago and immediately crashed on the couch.  Since then, I hadn’t left the building, and barely left the couch.

I didn’t look at her.  I looked down at the bowl of cereal on the table that I wasn’t eating.  I moved the soggy chocolate pieces around with my spoon and watched the milk slowly turn brown. There was a fading bruise on my knuckles.

Mom tried a gentler approach.  It wasn’t her strong suit, but yelling at me all week hadn’t worked.  “Don’t you think it’s time you went back to school?”

“I told you, I’m not going back there.” I replied dully.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Mom’s hands on the table.  They were folded together tightly.  They trembled with the effort of keeping her emotions in check.

“Do you really plan on throwing your whole life away because of a boy?” Her words were quiet, but tight.

“I’m not throwing away much.  The only reason I went to that school was because of him.”

“You’re being stupid!” Mom shouted, slamming one hand down on the table.  “You’re wasting your potential over something as foolish as a broken heart!”

I sat up so quickly my chair banged into the cupboards behind me. Both hands were tensely planted on the tabletop.  My mother blinked at me in surprise.  “I know it’s stupid!” I shouted.  “I know I’m being foolish!  It’s my broken heart and it’s not like I can just turn it off!”

She gave me a calculating look, but didn’t answer.  I turned and headed for the door.  “I’m going out.”  At the door, I pulled a light jacket off the hook. It belonged to my brother.  It was late November, but warm, so I didn’t need my green winter coat.

“You didn’t tell Chris that I left school, right?” I asked, facing the door as I slipped an arm through one of the sleeves.

“I thought I would leave that up to you.  I was hoping you would change your mind before he comes back.”

I opened the door and walked out into the hall, letting it close behind me.  The sound followed my heels as I ran to the stairs.

  


*********

  


Once upon a time, I hated firearms.  On television, they were loud and deadly.  The PSA’s inserted strategically inbetween my favorite shows were worse, always with some little kid digging through their parents' stuff and finding their gun.  The screen always went black at that moment.  I hated firearms because they scared the bejeebus out of me.

Someone had taught me in recent months how to temper that fear into respect.  He had taken apart a nine millimeter, shown me all the pieces and how they worked together.  After that, he had taken me down to the range and let me try one out for myself.

I’d done it because I loved him, and I’d wanted to be wherever he was and love the things he loved.  With all my heart, I had tried my best to do something that I had hated.

Now, as I pumped rounds into the paper target hanging in the distance, all I could see was his face.

I needed a break, needed to clear my head.  This wasn’t helping.  This was doing the opposite of helping.  There were a couple of vending machines out front. Some sugar would help.

I’d just cracked open a soda when a man in a dark suit approached me.  He was dressed impeccably, not a thread out of place.  He wore no overcoat, even though it was November.  He carried a leather briefcase.

Strangely, his hands were clad in black leather gloves and he wore dark designer sunglasses.  His hair was black, and slicked back to the point of reflecting light.

I moved to the side, thinking he wanted something out of the machine.  Instead, he stopped right in front of me.  “You are Evangeline Statton.” he stated.

“What do you want with me?”  I wasn’t in the mood to waste words.  Especially on someone that called me ‘Evangeline’.  It showed that they didn’t know me, like telemarketers and credit card offers in the mail.

“My name is Lucien, David Lucien.”  A business card appeared in his hand, held out toward me.

I took it reflexively.  “You’re a lawyer.”  My stomach dropped.  “Am I being sued?”  Jackson and I hadn’t exactly parted ways as friends.  I wondered briefly how his nose was healing.

“On the contrary, I’m an estate lawyer.” He removed his sunglasses, revealing dark, piercing eyes.

That threw me off.  “Whose estate?”

“Katrina Riley’s.”

“Who?”

“She was your grandmother’s sister.  Your great aunt.”

Great Aunt Katrina.  The memory came back to me.  Grandma Alice’s older sister.  Krazy Katrina, my grandfather called her.  I had never met her in person, but Mom had a few times when she was younger.

“She’s dead?”  I would have to let Mom know.  How would she take it?

“She died just last week.”  His voice was solemn, but it lacked any trace of sympathy.  His dark eyes held no emotion, merely observing mine.

“What about the funeral?” I asked in surprise.

“Ms. Riley’s will stressed that there be no funeral services.”

“None? At all?”  I was really starting to dislike this man.  How had he found me here, anyway?  “Well, why are you bringing this up to me?  Katrina’s closest family is my grandmother.  My mother, Vivian Eklund, has power of attorney since she moved back to Puerto Rico.”

“Evangeline Statton is the name specified in Ms. Riley’s will,” David Lucien explained.  “You alone inherit all of her assets.”

I scrutinized Mr. Lucien’s business card more closely, so I wouldn’t have to keep looking at his apathetic eyes.  “Why me?  Why would she leave her stuff to someone she’s never met?”

The lawyer shrugged.  “It would be arrogant of me to claim to know the inner workings of Katrina Riley’s mind, but perhaps it’s the resemblance.”  He reached into his pocket and retrieved a small square of photo paper.  He held it out to me.

It was an old photo printed on new paper.  It was a simple portrait of a young woman with long hair.  It was sepia-toned, so I could not discern the color, but it was neither light nor dark.  Her face was thinner, the lines of her jaw sharper, but the resemblance to mine was unmistakable.

“I have the details of the estate with me for you to go over.  I’ll need your signature before the estate can be transferred to your name.”

I looked around the small area we stood in, at the vending machines with the orange plastic chairs.  “What, right here?”

“Yes, as soon as possible.”  His eyes flashed strangely, an odd reflection of the fluorescent light.

As I sat in one of the chairs, he placed his briefcase on the table and lowered himself beside me.  He opened the case and retrieved a thick stack of paper.

My eyebrows went up.  “Just how much did Great Aunt Katrina have?”

“While her assets were considerable, most of this is your contract.”

“My contract?”

His eyes went back to mine as he handed over the papers.  “In order to inherit the full estate, you must follow a certain set of rules laid down by Ms. Riley.”

I took the papers and flipped through them.  “All this?”  I read a few lines on a random page.  “I’m not allowed to repaint?  Repaint what?”

“The house.  Ms. Riley has left you her residence, which you must agree to reside in for a year.”

This was nuts, I thought, as I continued to skim through the papers.  Not only did I have to live in the house, I couldn’t change it in any way, nor could I sell it, or have it demolished, or even renovated.  I went back to the first page and placed my hand on top of the stack, so I didn’t have to look at it anymore.  It was too much to deal with all at once.

“I’ll have to talk about this with my mother,” I told him.

“You’re nineteen. You’re capable of making the right choice yourself.”  He held out a gold pen to me.

“If I’m going to be living somewhere new for a year, I really think I should discuss it with my mom first.”  I placed the papers on top of his briefcase.

His eyes bore into me.  “You're an adult now, Evangeline.”

I wanted to look away, but just couldn’t break his gaze.  Slowly, I reached out and accepted the pen.  “Mom’ll probably be glad to get rid of me,” I mumbled as I went to the last page of the stack and scrawled my name on the line at the bottom.

In a swift movement, the papers and pen were gone from my hands, tucked away safely in the briefcase.  Mr. Lucien was standing, holding out a manila envelope.  “This is everything you’ll need.  I’ll visit you at the house in one week, to see how you’re adjusting.”

I took the envelope, staring blankly at it as he walked away.  Once he was gone, I shook myself, clearing the cobwebs that had temporarily taken residence in my head.

 


	2. New Home, New Life

The ride on the L.I.R.R was long, much longer than I feared.  It would take forever to get into the city without a car.  Had Great Aunt Katrina owned a car?  I quickly hunted through the keys until I found a car key, much to my relief.

I rode onwards, staring out the train window moodily, my forehead pressed against the glass so I could see my own sour expression reflected back at me.  The sun was just now rising up over the trees.  It had still been dark when I left Queens.

There were many things I disliked about my new arrangements.  So many reasons that I knew it was going to be a living nightmare.  The very first one being that Long Island was all the way out in the sticks.

There was also the fact that I knew next to nothing about Katrina Riley. I had never met her while she was alive.  She had died alone in her big house out in the middle of nowhere.  Everyone in the family said that she was crazy.  I could just imagine that huge house she left behind.  Doilies covering every available surface, dust everywhere, that sickening old lady smell.  Old lady smell was definitely somewhere on my list of things I was going to hate.

It wouldn't be so bad if I could have just brought Mom with me. Even if we did fight all the time, at least it would be some company.  The will stipulated that the Caretaker live alone. No family; no friends; no lovers.  Great. Sounded like a blast.

I was so deep into my brooding that I almost missed my stop, and it was over half an hour until the next one.  I hurried out of the train, pushing past no one.  I was the only one getting off here. The station was deserted.  I shouldered my duffel bag and started exploring.

The parking lot was completely deserted.  Mr. Lucien had assured me over the phone that someone would pick me up.  I sighed and went over to the station house thinking I could get the number of a cab company, but that seemed to be deserted as well.  What if someone wanted to buy a ticket?  This had 'long day' written all over it.

I headed to the parking lot again, this time there was a truck there.  It was an old truck that had seen better days, and badly needed a new coat of blue paint.

A young, dark-skinned man was getting out of the driver's seat, smiling warmly when he saw me.  “Are you the new Caretaker? Evangeline Statton?” he asked, looking at a scrap of paper in his hand. “Did I say that right?”

I nodded, too busy admiring him to speak.  He was tall and well built, wearing carpenter's pants and a worn t-shirt.  He smiled, revealing a perfect set of white teeth.  “The lawyer told me to pick you up today, but I didn't expect you so early.  You weren't waiting long, were you?”

I shook my head quickly.  “I just got off the train.”

He held out a large, calloused hand.  “I'm Ricky.  Richard Andrews to my parents, but only when they’re mad.”  He winked at me.

Maybe things around here wouldn't be so bad after all.  I held out my own slim, pale hand and it was nearly swallowed by his.  “You can call me Angie.”

“Well, let's get you over to the house.  Is this your only luggage?”  He indicated the duffel bag and I nodded.  He opened the passenger's side door for me and held my hand  as he helped me up into the cab.

“How did you know Great Aunt Katrina?” I asked once we were on our way.

“I do work on the house every now and then.  For a woman living alone, things broke down a lot.” he answered.  “Aunt Katrina liked to handle things herself, but after a while, she couldn't move around like she used to.”

“Aunt Katrina?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.  “You’re not related to her, are you?”

He laughed, a deep, joyful sound that made me feel warm all over.  “No, not by blood anyway.  Me and my sister, Cassandra, and a friend of ours, Steven, used to hang out there all the time.  Aunt Katrina would try to cook for us, but usually left it up to me.  We all did work around the house for her, and we kinda just lingered a bit.”

I nodded, smiling faintly at the cozy image in my head.  “Is the house far from the station?” I asked.

He laughed.  “It's _way_ out there, but you're gonna love it, you'll see.  Cassandra and I did a very thorough cleaning.”  He seemed proud of himself.

“Thank you.” I told him sincerely.  Perhaps I wouldn't have to deal with any old lady smell after all.

He smiled again.  I liked guys that smiled a lot, especially when those smiles made the skin by their eyes crinkle.  “That's what neighbors are for.”

“We're neighbors?” I asked, perhaps a little too hopefully.

“The closest one you have for miles.  Aunt Katrina owned a lot of land.  My house is right next to the property line on one side, Steven’s is on the other.  There’s no fences, so we’d cross the property when we were in the mood for a good walk.  I guess it makes sense that we were always by Aunt Katrina’s house.”

“It must be hard for you, since she passed away so recently.” I said sympathetically.

He didn't seem especially bothered, not outwardly anyway.  “Oh, I'll miss her of course, but she wouldn't want me to be sad.”

The rest of the drive passed pleasantly, Ricky filling me in on everything he thought I should know about the area surrounding the house.  He was right, it was a long drive.  Still, I was sorry when it was done.

He stopped the truck next to a mailbox at the side of the road.  A narrow path covered in white gravel continued off the road, through a small copse of trees.

Before Ricky could open his door, I let myself out of the truck, jumping down to the ground.  He laughed and handed me a white card through the window.  I looked at the business card.  “That's the number for the shop.” he told me.  I turned the card over, revealing another number written there with pen.  “And that's the house.  Just give me a ring if you need anything.”

I waved goodbye as he drove away.  I checked out the mailbox first.  It was surprisingly empty.  Shouldn’t it have been stuffed with bills, spam, and condolences from family and friends?  I hefted my bag on my shoulder and headed up the path through the trees.

It seemed so sudden when the trees ended and the ground under my feet turned to gravel.  I looked up at the house now standing before me, squinting in the late morning sun.

The house stood all by itself in a sea of white gravel.  There were no plants, bushes, or trees around for at least fifty yards. Only this fresh, blinding gravel.

I knelt down and dug around through the gravel for a bit. It was thick but I reached ground, only to discover it was salted.  Nothing would grow here.  I wasn’t raised to be much of a plant lover, but even Mom had a few plants hanging out by the kitchen window.

The house itself was big, far too big for just me.  It had two floors topped with an attic, I even spied a small tower in the back.  A tower!  The siding was painted slate blue with faded white trim.  It was very classic looking but not unbearably so.

I stepped up onto the huge wraparound porch and took a look around.  The porch was mostly empty except for a storage bin.  No chairs or tables or anything to show an appreciation for the outdoors.  I lifted the lid on the storage bin, and found it empty.

I walked to the front door, looking it over a full minute as it was the strangest door I had ever seen in person.  It was a huge, steel affair and even though it was painted the same slate blue as the rest of the house, it stood out starkly against the old fashioned exterior.  I rapped two knuckles on it, expecting a hollow bang, but there was no sound.  The door was completely solid.

Why was there a need for such a huge door?  What did an old woman out in the middle of nowhere have to fear that she would go to such extremes? Did she watch a lot of hysterical news channels?

I tried the doorknob and of course found it locked.  I fished out my new keys.  There were many on the ring but the one for the front door stood out immediately.  It was the strangest key I’d ever seen, so of course it went with the strangest door.  It was cylindrical, with many varying sized notches all over the length of it.

When I inserted the key in the lock and turned it, I heard several heavy clicks before the door swung open.  As solid as the door was, it opened easily without the tiniest creak.  I stepped inside cautiously.  This house had proved itself to be rather intimidating from the outside, and I wasn’t sure what to expect once I was inside.

The first thing I noticed was that there wasn't a speck of dust in sight.  As I stepped in, some automatic sensor went off, and the lights all started coming on.  My first impression of my new home was sheer amazement.

The floorboards under my feet were even and smooth; the color of honey, and waxed to a high gloss.  The front door led into a huge space that was half kitchen and dining room, and part living area.  The living room and kitchen were separated by a long counter which contained a double sink.  The floor was made up of heavy-looking stone tiles.  The appliances weren't all new, but they shone.

The stove was a six burner and the fridge was a monster.  I took a peek inside to see that it was fully stocked.  Everything was arranged neatly and leftovers were stacked up in plastic containers.  

Leftovers?  How long had they been in there?  Over a week? I closed the fridge and continued my exploration to the living area.

The ceiling was high overhead and there was a distinct lack of dividing walls.  I could see all the way to the other side of the house, which was mostly a large plate glass window, covered with vertical blinds.

A huge wide-screen television dominated one wall, immediately drawing the eye.  It looked to be at least fifty-four inches.  There was a couch and an armchair, plus a couple of bookshelves.  The wooden floor from the door continued into this room.

I turned around where I stood, taking it all in.  It was so spacious, so full of light.  I inhaled deeply.  Not one trace of old lady smell, either.  Just the clean smell of citrus and floor wax.

It was then that I thought 'This might actually be pretty nice'.  Little did I know then just how bad things would get.  At the time, the only thought on my mind was checking out the second floor.

Upstairs there were more walls, since this was where the bedrooms were.  I paused outside of the first door and tried the knob.  It was locked.  I pulled out the key ring and after a couple of tries, got the door open.

The room was extremely tidy and smelled fresh and new, but I could tell that it had been lived in.  The curtains and bedspread showed signs of wear from many washings, and the desk was weathered and scarred.  

The floor was the same honey-colored wood as downstairs.  It seemed that Great Aunt Katrina hadn't believed in carpeting.  It was nice, and probably easy to care for, but it made my footsteps echo whenever I walked.  It would take some getting used to, living by myself in such a big house.

The room was on the small side, and narrow, definitely not the master bedroom.  The bed was immediately to my left.  A single, pushed against the wall and made so tightly that the blankets looked fused to the sheets.  The desk was opposite the door under the room's one window.  Two large sliding doors were on my right.

I walked over to the desk.  The surface was bare except for a large book, clad in red leather.  I lifted it up with both hands, and found it had decent heft.  The spine was gold-tooled.  The leather felt smooth and worn, but it was in perfect condition.

I undid a gold clasp holding the book shut slowly, not wanting to cause any harm to what was obviously a treasured antique.  The book fell open to a random page.  The words were all handwritten in a long, flowing script.  It was difficult to make out and I squinted hard, trying to decipher the squiggles.

“ _From the tower, I can keep watch over the Vault, so that no one, mortal or otherwise, may disturb it.”_

Hmm, was Great Aunt Katrina a writer? What tower did she mean?

I had seen a tower from outside.  I put the book back down on the desk and looked out the window.  I didn't see the tower to the left or to the right, which meant that I was probably under it.

I looked around the room.  There hadn't been another door on this side of the house from the hallway, so it must be in here somewhere.  I walked over to the closet and slid the door open.  Inside was a dresser and a railing for hangers, both empty and bare.  Sure enough, behind the railing was another door.

This one was locked as well.  I was starting to see why I had so many keys.

The door revealed a narrow spiral staircase leading upward.  I climbed the stairs, and the walls closed in uncomfortably.  They led up to a tiny room.  The ceiling was so low that I couldn't stand up, and was forced to sit on the top step.  A strong shaft of light was coming from the tower's one tiny window.  I leaned over and peered out, shading my eyes with my hand.

The light was coming from the sloped roof directly across from this window.  It was so bright that I couldn't tell what the roof was made of.  It might have been tin, or maybe... glass?

I had to find out.  I hurried down the stairs, then out of the room, looking around the hallway for a set of stairs leading up to the attic, but couldn't find any.

The house had an attic, I saw it from outside.  If not stairs, then perhaps there was a collapsible ladder tucked up into the ceiling.  A quick inspection revealed nothing.

Perhaps in one of the other rooms, then.  The next door down the hall led to a small bathroom.  That wasn’t it.  The next room was another bedroom, a mirror image of the first one, except that it looked to have never been used.  The mattress was new and bare except for a plastic cover.  The closet was empty.  No stairs, no ladder.

That left one final room.  The double doors at the end of the hallway, on the opposite side of the staircase: the latches were brass.  I couldn’t resist opening them together.  The room was a large one, with two closets on either side when you stepped in.  Obviously this was the Master Bedroom.  In which case, why was the small room by the stairs the one that had been lived in?

Plush white carpet covered the floor, silencing my footsteps.  The bed lay to the left, Queen-sized.  It was also bare.  A desk sat on the other side facing the wall.  To the left was a small table and a white sofa chair, and the door to the master bath.

As grand as the room was, there was no staircase, and no ladder tucked up into the ceiling.  I paused for a moment, thinking.  This house was becoming more and more of a mystery.  Now Great Aunt Katrina struck me as being paranoid as well as eccentric.  The door in the closet was proof of that.  Perhaps there was another door, even more hidden.

I headed back into the hall and inspected the ceiling again very closely.  I soon found what I was looking for: a tiny hole.  I grabbed the chair from the desk in the first bedroom and stood on it to get a better look.  It looked almost like a keyhole...  I hunted through my key ring and found an old skeleton key.

The key fit perfectly in the hole.  I turned it and heard a very loud _click_.  A large rectangle came down out of the ceiling a few inches and stopped.  I jumped down from the chair and pushed it away, and then I reached up and grabbed the edge of the door.  As I pulled it open, a staircase slowly unfolded itself.  It settled neatly into place with a snap.

I looked up the staircase.  There was a lot of light coming in from the attic...  Was the roof really made of glass?  I climbed up the staircase quickly, anxious to find out.

The entire space was wide and empty, save for a large stone dais in the center of the room.  One wall was full length all the way up to the glass ceiling.  The ceiling sloped sharply down to the floor on the other side.

It was so warm up here, in contrast to the drizzly and chilly November outside.  It almost felt like summer.

This was just like a greenhouse.  I couldn't have plants outside, but I bet I could keep a few of them up here.  Orchids liked humid places with lots of sun, for instance, and it would be a relief to share the house with something living.  Great Aunt Katrina wouldn’t begrudge me that, would she?  Besides the dais in the center looked like it was made to have something sitting on top of it.

I walked over to it, wondering what it was for.  It was a plain, rectangular block of gray stone, about waist high.  It looked heavy, like, extra-supports-erected-on-the-floor-below heavy.  I wondered how Great Aunt Katrina had gotten it up here.  Perhaps she had it lifted up by crane and put in through the roof and the glass put in after.

That seemed like a huge expense for something that didn’t really do anything.  I wondered what it was for.

I spotted a small hole on the side and crouched down, inspecting it closely.

Yep, it was a keyhole. I looked through my keyring again, but couldn't find a key that would fit in the hole properly.  I tried every last one with no luck.  Maybe Ricky had a tool that could open it.  If not, there had to be a locksmith in town.

That was enough exploring for now.  It had been a long train ride and I was starving.  I needed to put my clothes away as well.

Which bedroom should I take?  It was my pick after all.  The Master Bedroom was certainly luxurious, but at the same time intimidating, like a suite in a fancy hotel.  I didn’t think it could ever feel like **my** room.

The room by the staircase was certainly cozy, and the door to the tower was interesting.  I could try it out for a few days and decide.  If I wasn’t comfortable I could always take another room.

Since, of course, there was no one else here...

  


********

  


The next day I went out and explored nearby civilization.  Katrina’s car was a beat up, powder blue Chevrolet.  It wasn’t pretty to look at, but it ran.

I found a lawn and garden store quite easily, and was able to buy a few orchids, pots, and the bark-like potting soil they required.  I also stopped at a vintage clothing store and splurged a bit, bulking up my scanty wardrobe.

When I returned back to the house, there was a car parked by the garage. A dark blue compact.  I walked up onto the porch and looked around, but saw no one.  Was there someone inside the house?

I set my packages down on the porch and unlocked the door.  I stepped inside slowly, noticing that all the lights were on.  “Hello?” I called warily.

“In the kitchen,” an unfamiliar voice called casually.

A man about my age sat at the large butcher block table in the middle of the kitchen.  He had a laptop open in front of him and was typing at the keys.

Even though he was seated, I could tell that he wasn't very tall.  His skin was the pale white only zero exposure to sunlight could achieve.  He was thin and bony, and his hands looked a little too big for him.  The fingers were long and quick at the keys.  His sand-colored hair was short and tousled, and he wore wire-rimmed glasses that slid down his nose.

He looked up at me briefly.  Long enough for me to see that his eyes were baby blue behind his glasses.  “Hey there.  Rick said you arrived yesterday, so I thought I would come over and set everything up for you.”

“Who are you?” I got to the point right away.

“Oh, right, sorry.”  He rose out of his chair a little and held out his hand.  “I'm Steven Moire.  I maintained the computers and security system for Aunt Katrina.  Rick didn’t tell you about me?”

Ah yes, Steven: Ricky’s friend who visited Katrina along with Ricky’s sister.  “How did you get in here?” I asked.  As far as I knew, I had the only key to the front door.

“Basement entrance.” he pointed behind him at the broom closet.

“I see...” I said, making a mental note to check out the basement later.  I hadn't even realized there was one.  It was probably behind another hidden door.

“Nice to meet you.” Steven said, holding his hand out again.  I realized that I hadn't shaken it the first time.  I made up for my error now.

“Angie Statton.”

He sat down again, turning his attention back to his laptop screen.  “So, what are you here to set up?” I asked curiously.

“I need to set you as the Primary Resident.” he replied.  “That way the security system doesn't attack you.  It's not on right now, but it has to be activated if you’re going to live here.  That's Aunt Katrina's rule.”

What he said brought up several, rather pressing, questions.  I settled on the most crucial one.  “The security system attacks people?”

“Only people it doesn't know.” Steven said, sounding defensive.

“Hello in there!” I heard Ricky's voice from the front door.  Then he was in the kitchen, carrying my packages.  “I thought you might need help with these.” He smiled at me and I instantly felt at peace.

“Thank you.” I said, smiling back.  “Just set them down on the table.”  I was rapidly discovering that I couldn't be anything but cheerful in Ricky's presence.  He had an aura about him that just radiated happiness.

Ricky spotted Steven as he set my bags on the table. “Hey, man.” he said, his smile growing even wider.

‘Ah, so that's how it is.’ I thought to myself shrewdly.

Steven was giving my orchids a dark look.  “What's the matter?” I asked.

“Probably nothing...” he answered. “But, Aunt Katrina hated plants.”

“She did.” Ricky agreed. “Remember the little cactus we gave her for her birthday?”  Steven grimaced at the memory.  Ricky turned to me.  “So Angie, how are you liking the house so far?  Any drafts, or creaky floorboards, or leaky faucets I should know about?”

I shook my head.  “Everything I can see is in perfect working order,” I told him.  “You’ve done an amazing job around here.”

“You just let me know about any little thing.” he told me seriously.  His eyes darted back and forth.  “Aunt Katrina would haunt me for the rest of my life if I let her house fall into disrepair.”

I laughed.  “There's no danger of that happening anytime soon.” I reassured him. “Though... there is one thing I wanted to ask you about.”

“The Vault.” Steven said knowingly.  He could only be talking about one thing.

“Is that what it’s called?” I turned to him.  “How did you guess?”

“Because we want to know what's in there, too.” Ricky confided.

“She was a crazy old bird, but we know she was hiding something incredible.” Steven said.  “I mean, she stayed home all day, but she managed to pay to keep the house looking like this.”  He gestured around with both hands, emphasizing his point.

“So... you two don't know where the key for it is?” I asked.  They both shook their heads.

“We thought, _hoped_... that you might have been given the key.” Ricky said.  I gave him a helpless look.

“I always thought it was silly, keeping the vault up in the attic,” Steven said suddenly.  “I asked her about it one time, asked her why she just didn't keep it in the basement where it would be more secure.  You know what she said to me?  'That would be too kind.'  Weird, huh?”  His blue eyes were wide.

“We're kind of hoping you'll find out what the big secret is.” Ricky grinned mischievously at me.  “And maybe share it with us?”

“Whatever it is, it’s got to be pretty damned important.  Maybe it's whatever I am supposed to be taking care of.” I shrugged. “I am the Caretaker, right?”

  


********

  


The next morning after breakfast I went to the attic to see how my orchids were adjusting.  In a warm climate they would need to be spritzed with water daily.  It felt good, having something to care for.  A routine, even, at least until I found a part time job.  Rattling around all day in this house would drive me batty.

I ascended the stairs, water bottle in hand.  I had set the orchids on the stone dais, thinking that was the most suitable place.  It certainly brightened up the plain stone.  If they adjusted really well I might try something else, maybe a cactus or two wouldn’t be a bad idea...

The orchids were dead.

Astonished, I strode across the room to inspect the blooms.  They were very dry and dark brown in pigment, all their fuschia glory forgotten. As I gingerly pinched a leaf between my fingers, it crumbled to dust.

How the hell had they died overnight?  

Perhaps I had gotten a bad batch.  They had looked fine in the store, but I had pulled them off the bargain rack.  Perhaps they were on their way out.  I would go and get more later that day.  Good ones. Sturdy ones.

 


	3. Silver Tokens

 

The next day I got the same result.  “Is the air too dry in here, or what?” I asked myself.  “Why does this keep happening?”

I looked around self-consciously, but of course there was no one to hear me talking to myself.   I refocused my ire on the dead plant.  “Live, damn you!   _Live_!” I cried dramatically, raising my arms in the air.

I dropped my arms to my sides and sat on the dais.  “I'm going insane. Grandpa's gonna start calling me Krazy Angie now. Look at me, I'm talking to dead plants.”

With a groan, I collapsed on the dais. I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. The sun was on the other side of the house right now, so the light coming in was soft and warm. The stone was hard and cold under me, but it wasn't so bad.

Determination welled up inside of me.  I needed to have some other living thing in this house besides me.  It was time for another trip to the store.

I bought a wider variety of plants this time. Maybe the attic just wasn’t the right place for orchids.  Ferns, Azaleas, and some small cacti - one of them had to like it up there.  They couldn’t all fit on the dais, so I left it empty, lining the new plants up on the floor along one wall.

Just sitting around and waiting to see if my plants died again wasn’t my idea of a good time, so I kept busy by exploring all the nooks and crannies of the house.  Now was the perfect time to check out the basement.

The broom closet was indeed hiding another secret door, behind which was a narrow flight of stairs leading down.

They led to a finished basement where the walls were smooth and the floor was a heavy but decorative stone tile, and there were no exposed pipes or beams.  It didn’t feel like a basement at all, except for the fact that there were no windows.  The floor was clean and there wasn't a cobweb in sight.

There were three rooms.  The one closest to the kitchen was a pantry.  It was well stocked, as if for a fallout shelter.  Mostly everything was canned or sealed up in airtight buckets.  Had Katrina been expecting a siege?  She had been ancient, so maybe she didn’t like leaving the house to shop for food.

The second room held a few pieces of exercise equipment.  Some weights, gym mats, an exercise bike, and a treadmill.  It didn't look like it had been used in quite some time, a layer of dust settling over everything.

The last room was barely bigger than a closet.  On a low shelf sat a black trunk. I looked it over.  It was decorated with a single rose on the top, made out of silver.  The lock and fastenings were also silver.  I looked at the back, even the hinges.

I pulled out my key ring.  There was a small silver key on it that I had yet to find a use for.  Sure enough, it opened the trunk.

On top was a set of clothing: black denim pants, a black shirt, and a black leather belt with matching boots.  Both the belt and the boots had silver accents.  Under the clothes was a short leather jacket.  The jacket was dark brown and very worn.

I looked in the pockets and found a silver lighter and cigarette case, a pair of gloves with the fingers cut off, and a small cardboard box labeled 'ammo'.  I opened the box only to find it was empty.

Under the jacket was a metal case.  I pulled it out and laid it on the floor.  I popped the fastenings and lifted the lid.  Inside lay a semi-automatic pistol.  It was in pieces, each piece fitting into its own foam cutout.  Shockingly, it was made of silver as well.

I felt a shiver go through me.  What was this stuff for?  It was too elaborate to be a Halloween costume.  Maybe something from a movie?  Some people collected costumes and props.

But... if this was part of a collection wouldn’t it be upstairs on display or something?

A bad feeling was creeping over me, putting my nerves on edge.  I felt now that I had to be careful, that I could be in danger, but I didn’t know from what.

  
  


********

  
  


I didn't spend all my time by myself, I would have gone crazy.  As if knowing this, Ricky or Steven came over nearly every day.  They moved around the house with such familiarity that it was comforting, since I still couldn't remember where everything was supposed to go.

Ricky liked cooking, so I let him have the kitchen when he was over.  I would sit at the table and watch, with the purpose of memorizing where all the ingredients and utensils were kept.  My eyes eventually wandered to the spot right between Ricky’s well defined shoulders and generally stayed there.

I met Ricky's sister, finally.  She immediately made me call her ‘Cass’ before the name Cassandra could get lodged in my brain and become associated with her face.  She was my age and very pretty.  She wasn't as dark as her older brother, but she had his cheerfulness.  She showed me where all of the cleaning supplies were in the house and even how to use some of them, like the floor wax, which was a foreign entity.  As the Caretaker, it was my job to keep the house in perfect condition, so I needed to know these things.

Cass even taught me a few things about plants, having a big garden of her own.  She applauded my selection of cacti, saying that since it was nice and humid up there I wouldn't have to ever water them, and they were sturdier than orchids.  I nodded as more advice spilled out of her, wishing I had a little notebook on me so I could write everything down.

The smaller bedroom by the stairs ended up being my room permanently.  The master bedroom was far too intimidating, and that wasn’t the kind of feeling you wanted right before drifting off to sleep.

One night, I sprawled on my bed and took another look at Great Aunt Katrina's book.  It was getting chillier each night, so I was wearing thick cotton pajama pants and an old sweatshirt over a T-shirt.  I lay on my stomach and leafed through the pages.  Trying to decipher the handwriting was too much for me, so I just looked at the pictures.

The book had to be Great Aunt Katrina's diary.  All the pages were dated and none of the passages were very long.  She'd had a fair hand at drawing, leaving little pictures in the blank spaces between days.  Her art was better than her handwriting, anyway.

There were portraits of Steven and Ricky, which were amazingly detailed.  Cassandra’s... Cass’ was a few pages further.

As I slowly flipped through the pages, my fingers slipped and the book lay open at the middle, the spine cracked here so the paper lay perfectly flat.  This was the page that had been read most.

The handwriting was Katrina’s usual indecipherable scrawl.  The portrait was what caught my eye.  It was the head and shoulders of a man, and much more detailed than the others.  Some of the ink marks were newer and darker than others.  Katrina had come back to his portrait again and again, adding new details carefully.

He was thin, gaunt even, but young, with an energy in his dark eyes that was consuming.  His hair was dark and combed neatly in a style that probably hasn’t been used in the last century.  The collar of his shirt was neat, tied with a thin black ribbon.

His nose was straight, almost delicate.  It was understated, allowing his eyes to stand out all the more.  I ran my finger down his thin cheek, and over his well-defined jawline.  I caught myself blushing and pulled my hand away.

The name underneath the portrait was smudged.  The ink had been nearly washed away, by water maybe?  I held the book up, looking from another angle.  Tears?

Whoever this guy was, he was probably long dead by now, or so old and decrepit that he would be unrecognizable from this portrait.  Who had he been to Great Aunt Katrina?  He didn’t look like a family member.  An old lover, perhaps?  That might explain the tears.

I tried to decipher the text on the other page but could only make out a few words.  The handwriting was even more terrible than the rest of the book.

Her hands must have been shaking...

I shivered at the thought and hurriedly turned the page.

The rest of the pictures were just diagrams, or maybe illustrations.  There was even a picture of the Vault.  I saw several of the silver gun, put together and taken apart, with numbers showing how the pieces fit.  It had a long chain attached to the grip.  The note underneath said it was to be attached to the belt, so it was harder for someone to disarm you.

I turned another page and stopped, staring at the picture there.  A chill seized my spine.  It looked like the picture of a shadow with ragged edges.  The only features it had was white eyes and a mouth.  The eyes were slanted into a devious expression, and the mouth was fanged.  The picture unnerved me, and I found it difficult to look away.

I decided to skip to the end of the diary, to be as far away from that picture as possible, but the rest of the pages were blank.  I flipped through them quickly, just to make sure, and ended up at the back cover.

There was one final drawing on the inside back cover.  This one was of a key.  At least, I thought it was.  It looked very strange, unlike any key that I had ever seen.  It seemed to be made up of three different pieces, possibly three other keys.

I got up out of the bed, went over to the desk and opened the top drawer.  I pulled out my keyring and took them back over to the bed.

There were a lot of keys on the ring, so finding any that looked like the keys pictured in the book was a mighty task.  I held up a few to the drawing, but didn't see a match.  I flipped through the book again, seeing if I could find the keys separately, but was unsuccessful.  I went back to the back cover again.

I inspected the drawing closely.  The largest key was cylindrical, and looked like it had many notches carved into it.  I picked up the key ring and selected the key to the front door.  I took it off the ring and held it up to the drawing.  They looked the same.

One of the keys in the diagram was very small, but had a large grip, this was the top piece.  I got the tiniest key off the ring and compared it.  Another success.  It was the key to the trunk in the basement.  I set it aside with the first key.

It took a while, but after comparing all the rest of the keys, I found that the last key was the one to the tower.  I pulled it off the ring and set the rest aside.

I held the three keys in my hands.  How was I supposed to put them together?  It was exciting, like a puzzle.  Thoughts of sleep had left my mind completely.

I turned the keys over in my hands, feeling with my fingers where all the bumps and notches were.  I began fitting them together.

After many tries, and a few pinched fingers, I finally got it.  I held the completed key in my hands, proud of myself.  I knew automatically what it would unlock.  I only hoped that I could separate the keys again before I had to go leave the house.

I looked at the clock; 1 A.M.  I could go to sleep and unlock the Vault in the morning... but how would I be able to sleep without seeing what was inside?  Ricky and Steven were also looking forward to what was inside.  I could go and find out now, and tell them first thing in the morning.  This way if it was something uninteresting, I wouldn’t disappoint them. It might even be empty, how boring would that be?

I got out of bed and headed out into the hallway.  It was a good thing that the key to the stairs hadn't been used in the big key.  That would have been precious time wasted.  I unlocked the stairs and hurried up to the attic.

The moon was high overhead.  It was round and full and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  Out here away from the city, the stars were many and shining.  I’d never been up here at night before and was caught up in the beauty of it.  Had this been why Great Aunt Katrina had put in all this glass?  So she could see the stars?

That didn’t seem quite right.  If she wanted to stargaze, she could have stood out in all that gravel.  There weren’t any trees in the way from the ground.  My eyes turned to the Vault.  This was the reason, I knew.  It was the only thing up here.  For whatever reason, this Vault was why the roof was made of glass.

At night it had a very ominous look to it.  The stone was pure white under the moon, contrasting with the sharp, pitch-black shadows it cast.  I knelt down next to it.  The side with the keyhole was in shadow, so I had to feel for it with my fingers.  In the silence around me I heard a small sound.

I paused, looking around.  There had been a faint rustling, perhaps from the plants. I got up and inspected them.  The cacti were okay, but the azaleas were dead, many of the leaves dried up and littering the floor.

That must have been the sound I heard; a dead leaf hitting the floor.  For a second, I thought it was coming from the Vault, but the angle of the roof must throw all kinds of echoes around.

Still, I was starting to get a little creeped out all alone in the middle of the night.  My anticipation had fled.  Now I just wanted this to be over with.  I could almost hear my bed calling me.

I walked back over to the Vault and found the keyhole.  The key fit perfectly.  I smiled, feeling some of my courage come back in the face of success.  I turned the key.


	4. Awakening

 

A heavy click sounded, followed by a series of smaller clicks from inside the vault.  There was a shuddering noise that grew louder and louder and I backed up hurriedly.

A long seam appeared all around the top of the vault.  The lid rose up a few inches and slid to the side, stone grating against stone, sounding like thunder.  It stopped and the lid tipped down, one corner hitting the floor with a crash.  Silence fell.

The lid uncovered a rectangle of darkness.  Nervously, I reached one hand inside.  My fingers met black fabric and something solid.

I reached in and lifted it up.  It was surprisingly heavy considering its small size. It was wrapped in layers of black silk.  I began unwrapping it immediately; finally this mystery would be solved.  I saw a flash of silver shine amidst the black.

The silk dropped to the floor and I was holding a metal glove in my hands.  Not a bulky gauntlet, like from a suit of armor, but slim and delicate.  It looked like it was designed for a woman’s hand.  It was engraved with curlicues and strange runes and shone with an unearthly light under the full moon.

I turned it over in my hands, puzzled as to what it was made of.  Some bright metal.  Silver?  But why would someone make a glove out of silver?

I couldn't resist trying it on.  It certainly didn't look dangerous, only beautiful.  I slipped my left hand into it. The inside was lined with an incredibly soft material.  I didn't feel the joints chafe or pinch at all.  It was as if it had been made for me, it fit so perfectly.

I flexed my fingers.  They moved freely, if a little slowly.  It would take a while to get used to the weight.

Then I caught myself and giggled aloud, breaking the silence and easing the tension that had accumulated in the room.  It wasn’t as if I would be wearing this around town like a new bracelet or ring.  Whatever it was, jewelry it was not, no matter how lovely.

As I flexed my fingers again something came loose in the fingertips.  Claws extended from each tip.  I blinked, startled.  The claws looked razor sharp, but I was in no way going to test them.  I flexed my hand again, the claws retracted.

The air in the attic felt colder all of a sudden.

This thing was a weapon.

I should take it off. I should put it away.

I hesitated.  It was so beautiful, and it looked good on me.  It wasn't frightening, just strange.  I would see what else was in the vault, I decided.  Perhaps Great Aunt Katrina had a whole suit like this in there.  As long as the claws didn't come out suddenly, I would be fine.

I peered back down into the Vault, realizing just how big it was.  A full grown person could lay comfortably inside.  That was a rather unsettling thought, even more so after what happened next.

I pulled back a long black cloth, revealing a wooden coffin.  I shrieked and stepped back quickly, covering my mouth and nose against the foul odor that I knew would soon overwhelm me.

Of course I didn't smell anything.  If a rotting corpse was in there I would have smelled it as soon as the lid opened, with or without the cloth.

I uncovered my nose and mouth and sniffed experimentally, just to make sure.  There was nothing but the faintest hint of dust.  I cautiously made my way back to the Vault and peered inside.

The coffin appeared to be old and worn out.  It looked nothing like the ones you saw nowadays.  It was made of unfinished boards crudely nailed together.  It seemed to almost shimmer under the moonlight.  I looked closer.

Under a layer of dust, I discovered a thin silver chain was wrapped around the coffin.  I looked down the length of the coffin, the silver was there too.  It couldn't all be one chain, there was too much of it, and yet, I didn't see any breaks in it.  It was wrapped around so many times that the coffin was encased in a web of silver threads.

Why did Great Aunt Katrina have a coffin up in her attic?  I knew for a fact that she was buried in the cemetery outside of town.  This wasn't her coffin.  So, who's was it?  And why was it up here of all places?

I looked up at the glass ceiling above me.  I imagined this room during the daytime, the sun beating down into the attic all day long and the Vault in the center of it, absorbing all that sunlight.

Steven's voice rang through my head.  ‘She said 'That would be too kind.'’

I remembered the shadow in Great Aunt Katrina's diary.  The one with the fangs.

My hands began to shake.

Maybe I was just being silly.  There had to be a reason for the Vault to be up here, it didn't even have to be a good reason.  This box didn't have to be a coffin, either.  Whatever Great Aunt Katrina had stored up here could stay up here, at least 'til the sun was up.

How was I supposed to close it?  Turning the key again was no help.  The hydraulics that had lifted the lid had dropped it on the floor and there was no way I was going to be able to even budge it by myself.

As I stood there, a voice slithered into my mind.  It was dark and slithery, cutting through all of my thoughts, silencing them.

" _Let me out_."

I froze as an icy sliver of fear slid up my spine.  My ears strained in the utter silence, trying to hear what had been confined only to the inside of my head.

I was really scaring myself now.  That's what it was.  I was over-excited and it was affecting me.  I should go downstairs and get a nice cup of hot chocolate and sit on the couch until I was-

Again my thoughts were cast aside.  

" _Stay.  Let me out_..."

There was a pressure in my head, some weight sharing room in there with my consciousness, squeezing my own thoughts out.

" _Remove the silver_."

I lifted my silver clad hand.  The pressure eased some, now that I was being obedient.  I flexed my fingers and the claws came out again and I dragged them across the chains.  They broke apart easily, the links worn by age.

A small, rational part of my brain was sounding off.  I could hear it, but it was very far away.  It persisted, trying to make me see reason.  I began listening more, and stopped tearing the silver.

" _ **Let me out!**_ "

The pressure was back again, roaring in my skull.  I clutched at my little spark of reason and resisted.

The coffin moved then, only a tremor, but enough to make me back up.  My legs felt leaden, but I managed to move toward the stairs.

The coffin shuddered, harder this time.  I couldn’t see from where I was, but I could hear it rattling against the sides of the vault.

Fear clutched at me, making my insides numb. I heard a whimpering sound and realized dimly that it was coming from my own throat.

The rattling grew louder, more violent.  There was a pause, then the sound of impact.  Fragments of the silver chain burst out of the Vault, raining down softly.

My legs were useless now, they couldn't hold me up.  I slumped to the floor, still unable to tear my eyes away.

The lid of the coffin was pushed up and out, clattering against the floor.  I flinched at the sound.  A dry, white hand gripped the side of the stone.  It had long, black claws.

What had happened to the fight or flight instinct that was supposed to be inherent in all humans?  I was just sitting there, as weak as a kitten.

He pulled himself to a standing position with difficulty.  He looked old and weak, definitely not used to being upright.  His hair was snow white and his face was etched with deep lines.  He wore an old-fashioned black suit that had seen better days.  It was torn and ragged and hung off his bony frame.  He took a moment to calmly compose himself, then turned to face me.

Another whimper escaped me.  I was unable to look away from his face.  As aged as it was, his expression was still strong.  His skin was ghastly white with deep bruises under the eyes, eyes that were the brownish-red of dried blood.  His mouth was a thin line, a crack in his parchment-like skin.

He surveyed me a moment and his lips parted, a low hiss seeping out.

“Katrina...”

He swept both arms behind him grandly, his clawed fingers raking through the air.  He took a deep breath, his chest creaking as it expanded.  With the motion the air suddenly became tighter, almost choking.  My eyes widened as all the plants along the wall suddenly withered and died in seconds.  Even the cacti shriveled up, some turned to dust.

He lifted his face up to the moon and exhaled slowly.  He seemed to grow younger then, but not by much, from a man in his eighties to his sixties.  His hair began to blacken, leaving only white streaks.

He looked back at me and his eyes glowed the red of freshly spilled blood.

“That's better.”  His expression was ravenous.  “But not nearly enough.”

He lunged at me then, the frailty of age gone.  He was fast, too fast.  I did the only thing I could do:

I punched him in the chest.

He flew away from me, his back colliding with the Vault with a loud crack!  He groaned in pain, smoke rising from his chest.  His eyes were narrowed slits, their eerie glow gone.  He hissed low, turning into a growl at the end.

I looked at my fist in confusion.  The silver glove, I had forgotten about it completely.  It seemed to have saved my life.  

Why had the glove burned him?  Was it... because of the silver?  I looked back at him.  He grimaced in pain and I could see his fangs clearly.  “You're a...” I whispered shakily.  “..a...”

“Vampire...”  The word came from between his lips in a low hiss.  It echoed in my mind.  I wished I hadn’t spoken at all, that I could take the word back somehow, make it so that I’d never heard it.

He rose to his feet, eying me cautiously, gauging how much of a threat I was.  “Who are you?” he demanded, his voice different than that sibilant hiss, stronger.  “You look like Katrina, but your hair is wrong.”  He prowled back and forth along the Vault as he studied me.  He was waiting for me to lower my guard so he could strike.

I resisted the urge to touch my dark brown hair defensively.  There was nothing wrong with it.  Great Aunt Katrina had been a redhead, hadn’t she?  Maybe the red reminded the vampire of blood or something. “I'm the Caretaker here.” I said firmly.  I tried to at least seem like I was in control, though I was shaking on the inside.  “Katrina left it to me when she died.”

The vampire's eyes widened.  He stopped his stalking, zeroing his gaze directly on me.  “Katrina Riley is dead?”

I nodded, not taking my eyes off of him.  I answered his questions without really thinking about it, all my remaining mental resources were trying to think of a way to escape.  The glove would help me if I stayed alert and didn't lower my guard, but it wasn't getting me out of this nightmare.

“How long?” he demanded.  Rage twisted his face, making it twice as horrifying.

I flinched again as his words seemed to cut into me.  “About a month.” I said quietly.

He drew in a deep jagged breath.  I could sense something terrible brewing inside of him, his whole body shook.  He threw his head back and a howl ripped from his throat.  It was long and agonized and angry.  Panic shot through me and I slid myself backwards, closer to the stairs.

After an eternity, that dreadful howl ceased.  The vampire was standing over me.  I hadn't seen him move at all.  “Who was it?” he shouted angrily.  “Katrina was **mine** to slay!   **Who killed her**?”

I felt that pressure in my head again, so heavy it was painful.  I covered my head with my hands, laying on the floor.  My teeth were pressed together so hard I thought they would shatter.  I couldn’t answer him, the weight was just too much.

He must have sensed my extreme distress was keeping me from speaking, because he backed up a step.  The pressure eased and my jaw relaxed.  I looked up at him, tears at the corners of my eyes.  “Time...” I answered weakly.

His expression weakened, the edge of severity dulling.  Disbelief filled his eyes.  “Are you telling me that the most powerful hunter in the world succumbed to old age?”

I gave him a small nod, as anything else would take my head completely off my neck.

He turned his head, looking back at the Vault.  “How long was I in there?”

For the life of me, I couldn’t explain why, but I felt sorry for him right then.  He was monstrous and terrible, but also confused and unsure.

“I don’t know.” I answered softly, sitting up, bracing my hands on the floor.

“Well, what year is it?” he demanded, his anger flaring briefly. “What's today's date?”

I recited the date to him automatically.  My whole body was shaking, but I was determined to protect myself despite my fear.

“No.” he whispered.  His hands gripped into fists, his claws digging into his palms.  “No. Are you telling me,” His voice was rising again.  “I was trapped in that box for _fifty years_?!”

I looked at him with what I knew was a helpless expression.  “Yes?”

His hands clenched tighter, his body beginning to shake.  I quailed.  With visible effort he managed to regain control of himself. He slowly took a deep breath and exhaled.

One random thought floated to the top of my mind.  “Vampires can breathe?”  It was an inanity, brought on by fear.  If I didn't get out of there, I would be reduced to a babbling moron, if I lived at all.

“Of course we _can_ , why shouldn’t we?” he snapped.  I had asked something stupid, I could tell that by the look on his face, but he had answered me.

I cast my mind around for something else to say, perhaps I could talk my way out of this situation.  “How did you know Great Aunt Katrina?”  The question flew out of my mouth before I could stop it.  That was probably the one question most likely to piss him off again.  She’d been a hunter, he’d said so himself.  Hadn't she locked him in the Vault in the first place?

Rather than exploding in rage, he became very still.  As I looked at him his face grew hard and inscrutable.  “She hunted me.” he said in his rumbling thunder voice.

So no fond memories, as I thought.

He took a step toward me.  I scooted backward, inching ever closer to the stairs.  His expression was one of distaste.  “You are just a weakling.”  His voice was icy.  “You are nothing like Katrina, even if you share appearances.”  He looked up at the sky.  “You are not worth my time.”

He jumped then, shooting upward powerfully.  He struck the glass ceiling with both hands.  The impact was deafening, but the glass was unbroken.  I reached behind me, feeling the opening to the attic stairs just a few more inches behind me.

I didn't take my eyes off of him.  He landed on his feet, then jumped up and attacked the glass again.  Still, it would not break. Obviously, it wasn’t ordinary glass since it was also a roof.  It had to be pretty thick, most likely bullet-proof.  Didn't they also make a glass nowadays that was supposedly missile proof?

If I was Great Aunt Katrina, and I was hiding a vampire up in my attic, I would have installed the missile-proof glass.  With the way the rest of the house looked, she might even have been able to afford it.

He landed on his feet again, staring up at the ceiling, becoming frustrated.  “I'm too weak.” he muttered.  I suppressed the urge to giggle insanely.  While he couldn't break the glass, he certainly wasn't weak. “I need blood.” he said, and immediately turned to me.

I pitched myself backwards quickly and threw myself down the staircase, not caring how bruised I would be as long as I could move fast enough.

I hit the floor below on my shoulder, which reacted with a wet snap.  It was very disconcerting that I didn't feel any pain, but I had no time to worry.  I scooted backwards and used my foot to lift the bottom step up.  I kicked hard, so the entire staircase folded back up into the ceiling.

After a second, I heard a deafening crash above me.  After another second it came again. He was trying to break it open.  Knowing Great Aunt Katrina, the lock was a strong one, but it wouldn't hold up forever.

I had to get away.  I headed down the stairs as quickly as I could.  My right arm was hanging uselessly from my injured shoulder, dislocated.  I cradled it to my body with my other arm.

Now I understood why the front door needed to be unlocked from both sides.  I could escape and lock the door behind me, then the vampire would be trapped inside the house.  Great Aunt Katrina had surely used the same kind of glass for the windows as she did for the roof.  I had to hope she did, anyway.  None of them could be opened at any rate, since they lacked latches.

I ran through the living and dining areas as quickly as I could, the pounding upstairs driving me to panic.  I raced through the kitchen and into the vestibule.  I slid to a stop at the door, almost smacking into it.  The highly waxed floor was slippery under my socked feet and  I was lucky I hadn't slipped and fallen down the stairs.

I pulled off the silver glove and dipped my hand into my night gown's pocket for my keys.  They weren't there.

Dread settled into the pit of my stomach and made itself at home.  I patted both of my pockets twice.  No keys.  They were still up I the attic, probably lying next to the Vault.

There was a horrible crash from the floor above me.  Terror moved in with dread and decided to throw a housewarming party, making my stomach churn.  I had seconds at the most before he was down here.

There was another exit that led outside from the basement, Steven had mentioned it when I met him.  I dove for the broom closet.  I pushed open the hidden door and shut it behind me.  

I looked around the basement, trying to find the door that led out.  I hadn't seen it the last time I was down here.  Truth be told, I had forgotten all about it.  Now that I needed it, I couldn't find it.  It was probably hidden, a secret just like every other damned thing in this house, and I didn't have time to look for it.

I couldn't run around any longer. I was making noise that he could surely hear.  I ducked into the little closet, closing it behind me and crouching down on the floor.  Just then, he burst through the door in the broom closet.  I could hear the pieces of wood clattering down the narrow steps.

I listened intently, pressing my ear to the closed door.  There was no sound.  He was being quiet, moving slowly, trying to hear or smell me out.

I scooted back as far as I could and tried to control my breathing, which had been coming in great, gulping gasps.  My back pressed into the trunk behind me.

I turned to it at once.  Great Aunt Katrina had been a hunter, the vampire had said that she had hunted him.  This was probably her gear.  I opened the trunk hurriedly, tossing her clothes aside.  I pulled out the smaller case, the one that contained the dismantled silver gun.  I lit the lighter setting it on top of the trunk so I could see what the hell I was doing.

I could do this. Hadn’t this been why my ex had introduced me to guns in the first place?  He’d dragged me down to the range so I could learn to protect myself.

Well, I certainly needed to protect myself now.

I opened the case, looking at the pieces in dismay. Could I assemble it in time?  I had watched Jackson do this a dozen times, but I only had one useful arm.

Panic drove me to try.  I fumbled with the pieces.  They were well made and slid together easily, despite my ineptitude.  Finally, only the clip was left.  I checked it.

There was only one bullet in it.  It shone silver under the weak, flickering light.

My heart dropped through the floor.  I loaded the clip anyway, not willing to go down without a fight.

I jumped as the doorknob rattled.  He ripped the door off the hinges, throwing it behind him.  His eyes glowed in the dim light.  I was crouched on the floor in front of him, gun pointed at his chest.  Surprisingly, my hand was steady.  My eyes were narrowed in concentration.

His red eyes widened, taken aback.  “Katrina?” he gasped.

I pulled the trigger.

The silver bullet pierced him dead center in the chest.  I couldn't have missed at such close range.  He was thrown backward, landing on the floor heavily.  Smoke rose up from his chest.  His body twitched uncontrollably as he clawed at the wound, trying to remove the bullet.

I got up quickly, running past his prone form, sprinting for the stairs.  I was halfway up when I glanced back, making sure he wasn't getting up, wasn’t following me.

He was still writhing, but weakly, his jaw clenched shut so he wouldn't cry out.  He kept clawing at his chest, but he could not grasp the bullet. It burned too much.  His skin blanched even whiter.

The bullet was sapping his strength as it burned his skin.  Soon, he would have nothing left.  He was going to die.

I bit my bottom lip, feeling awful.  He’d tried to kill me, yes, but did that mean I could live with killing him?  If I let him die here, then his face, so full of agony, was going to haunt me forever.

I took a deep, steadying breath and ran up the stairs. I hurried into the kitchen and pulled open the flatware drawer. In my haste the whole drawer came out and fell to the floor, its contents spilling out. I grabbed a steel butter knife and hurried back down the stairs.

He was squirming now, rapidly losing strength.  I knelt beside him, placing the silver gun behind me in easy reach. Pain had made his eyes wide and crazed.  His fangs showed as he gritted his teeth.

I didn't think he could see me through his agony.  I pushed his hands aside.  He fought back, clawing my hand. I slapped them away. “Stop moving and let me help!” He lay still, but every muscle was tensed.

I could see the wound through his shredded shirt.  I waved my hand, clearing the smoke that was still wisping up from it.  It looked black, as if the bullet I had shot him with had been searing hot.  “This is going to hurt,” I said grimly.

The hole was wide, the skin singed all around it, shrinking away from the source of the wound. I saw the end of the silver bullet clearly.  I dug the knife into the wound, alongside the bullet. The vampire hissed, his body jerking.  I wasn't gentle, focusing on getting the bullet out as quick as possible. After a moment, it popped out.

His body relaxed at once.  He lay absolutely still, staring up at the ceiling through hazy dark eyes.

I looked at the small lump of silver in the palm of my hand.  It was amazing how something so small had hurt him so much.

His eyes shifted to me and he stared at me for a long moment. “You're weak, and foolish.” he rasped.

“You owe me your life, such as it is.” I told him firmly as I reached behind me.

“Do not attempt to apply human rules and boundaries to me.” he said darkly.  “I will not hesitate to kill you.”  He made to sit up.

I pointed the silver gun at his head.  The clip was empty, but he couldn't know that.  I kept my gaze steady.

He gave me a long look.  His face was aged again, but his hair still had some black in it. He laid back down and turned away from me, onto his side, curling around his wound protectively.  “Leave me alone.”

“Your gratitude is suffocating.” I said wryly.  I got to my feet, keeping my eyes on him as I backed up to the stairs.  For all I know, his weakness could be a bluff.

It was the middle of the night, but I didn't care.  I ran to the nearest phone.

I was calling that damned lawyer.


	5. The Lawyer Versus The Vampire

I looked up the attic staircase in dismay.  It was completely wrecked.  Chunks of wood had been ripped right out of it and the rest had collapsed on the floor in a heap.  I could just imagine the look on Ricky's face if he saw it.

I grabbed the chair I had used earlier and stood up on it.  With my good arm, I hauled myself up into the attic.  My poor, abused muscles ached in protest.  I was certainly going to be sore tomorrow.

I scanned the attic floor, looking for my keys.  They could in one of two places: the attic or on the vampire; I didn't want to go back into the basement unless I had to, so I was checking the attic first.

Luck was with me for the first time that night.  My keys were lying on the floor next to the Vault.  I scooped them up and immediately pocketed them.  Then I lowered myself back down the hole to the second floor.

I went into my room and changed.  It didn’t matter what hell I had just been through, I wasn’t going to answer the door in my nightgown.  I pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater with great difficulty.  I wasn't even going to attempt to put on a bra and hoped that the sweater was thick enough that no one would notice anyway.  Lastly, I tucked the silver gun in my jeans and pulled the sweater over it.  The thickness would help hide that as well.

I decided against taking the silver glove with me.  It was much too noticeable.

I went to the kitchen, looking around carefully.  The door to the basement hung open, the same way as I had left it.  Just looking at it too hard would probably be enough to knock it off its remaining hinge.  The vampire was still in the basement.  I put on a pot of coffee, then sat down at the table and waited for the lawyer to arrive.

He had no qualms concerning showing up at the house at four in the morning, I had to give him that.  He didn’t even question me too deeply as to why.  He was still on retainer for Great Aunt Katrina, so it probably wasn't out of any genuine concern.

When he arrived I glanced furtively at the broom closet as I walked to the door.  There was no sound or movement from the basement.  I unlocked the door quickly and opened it.  Mr. Lucien stood there but he wasn't alone.  A tall, dark man wearing glasses stood next to him. I hurried them both inside and shut the door quickly while also trying not to make noise that would alert the vampire below.  “Who are you?” I asked the stranger immediately.  I was about at the end of my rope, and politeness was out the window.

“I'm Dr. Andrews.” he answered slowly.  “You know my son, Rick?”

This was Ricky's dad?  “Oh no... he's not here, is he?”  I looked out the window.  I couldn't have Ricky in danger.  I looked over at his dad.  I certainly couldn't have his dad in danger, either.

“Rick is home, sleeping, as I’m sure everyone else on this island is doing.” Dr. Andrews said as I put my good hand up and tried to lead him to the door.  “Mr. Lucien called me, saying you might be injured.”  He was giving me an odd look, probably because I looked very odd, with my tangled hair and wild eyes.

“You really shouldn't be here right now,” I said quickly. “It's not safe.”

“I can see you’re injured,” he said with frustrating practicality.  “I certainly can't leave you like this.”

I paused, listening intently, positive that the vampire could hear everything we were saying, but he still didn’t show himself.  Hopefully it would be a long while before he recovered.  If he did crawl up here, I could threaten him with the gun again.  I might be able to buy some time so the doctor and the lawyer could escape.

I was surprised by how calm I was.  I mean, I was pretty panicked and jittery, but I hadn't run out of the house, screaming into the night.  Yet.  Maybe I was in shock.  Maybe the screaming would start when the shock wore off.  I had always considered myself good in a crisis, but a vampire attack was a little above and beyond something like a fire or a flash flood.

While I was musing, Mr. Lucien spoke.  “Dr. Andrews will take care of your injuries, then we can discuss your business with me.”

I gave him a suspicious look.  “You knew I was hurt.”

He shrugged nonchalantly.  “You sounded quite strained on the phone, and you called at such a late hour. I was merely taking precautions.”

I let Dr. Andrews lead me into the kitchen.  I sat down at the table and he immediately began inspecting my shoulder.  “Does this hurt?” he asked, squeezing gently.  I shook my head.

“Honestly, I can’t feel a thing.” I told him.

“It's not broken, but it is dislocated.  And you seem to be in shock.”  I had pretty much figured that out on my own, but I bit my lip to keep from retorting.  I knew what was coming next.  “This will hurt.” he told me gently.  I had said that same thing to the vampire downstairs before digging a silver bullet out of his chest with a knife.  I shut my eyes quickly.

I gripped the table with my good hand and gritted my teeth so I wouldn't bite my tongue as Dr. Andrews reset my arm into my shoulder socket.  When it was done, I lay my head on the table and whimpered for a bit until my brain released enough endorphins to dull the pain to a deep throbbing.

I looked up, my eyes watering.  The lawyer was showing Dr. Andrews out.  The doctor still looked concerned but the lawyer said some reassuring words before closing the door on him.

Mr. Lucien dropped my keyring on the table in front of me, then prepared two cups of coffee.  He set one mug in front of me.  Then he took a seat across from me, setting his own mug down. I glared at him over my mug. “You knew.” I whispered accusingly.  “You knew this whole time.”

He looked unperturbed. “I don't understand what you mean.  You seem quite distraught about something.” he said lightly.  Yeah, he totally knew.

“Was that part of the Caretaker job, too?” I asked icily.  “Caring for a vampire?  I don’t seem to recall there being a line in my contract about that.”

He arched a brow.  “Vampire?”  He said the word like he was trying it out for the first time.  “How interesting.”

I stood up quickly.  “Cut the act!” I yelled, slamming both of my palms on the table.  I immediately regretted that as a spasm of pain throbbed in my shoulder.  I bowed my head for a moment.  My arm and shoulder were going to smart for days.

“I take it that you have discovered something unpleasant in the attic?” he asked, his voice still infuriatingly calm.

Unpleasant was the understatement of the decade.  I tried calming myself so I could talk to him on his own terms.  I sat down and folded my hands in front of me on the table.  “After spending some time here, I feel that I am unsuited for the Caretaker position. I would like to hand the job over to a more qualified individual. Immediately.”

“You can't.” He said it so simply, it made my temper flare up again.

“Why not?” I demanded.  “The contract I signed said I could leave the position if I chose.”

“And you can, if you so choose.” he assured me.  “But not immediately.  You can leave after ninety days.”

“Ninety... days?” I echoed, and shook myself mentally.  “What’s to stop me if I just leave right now?”

“You mean if you abandon the property?” he queried.  I nodded, that was a good way to put it.  “If you do that, then I am authorized to seize your assets and funds to replace what you used during your stay, as well as a penalty for disobeying the contract that you signed.  I estimate the total cost to you at fifty thousand dollars.”

“I've only been here a week!” I exclaimed.  How much money could I have possibly spent in that time?  I thought of the damage to the kitchen and attic and winced mentally.  Surely I wasn't responsible for that, right?

“Then you only have 83 more days until you can leave.”

“So, let me get this straight.  I'm facing financial ruin...” I began, gesturing with one hand dramatically.  “As opposed to staying here with that-” I didn’t want to say ‘vampire’ again.  “ **Monster** in the basement?”  My voice rose up a little high at the end of that last sentence.

“Has anyone ever told you that your voice carries?” an irritated voice said behind me.

I turned quickly, pulling the gun out of my jeans and pointing it at the vampire.  He stood in the broom closet, squinting in the light of the kitchen.  He looked much less threatening now.  His shoulders were hunched and he was holding his forearm pressed against his chest.  He looked tired.  More tired than even I felt.

I didn't waver, however, and kept my expression firm.  The weight of the silver gun was really wearing on my right arm, but I was not showing this monster a hint of weakness.

He didn't seem concerned, or he was beyond caring, because he walked right past me.  His eyes focused on the lawyer.  “Lucien, is that you?” he asked.

I glanced at the lawyer, who wore an annoyed expression.  He kept his gaze on me, ignoring the vampire.  “A monster, here? Hardly.”  He was answering my question, pretending no time had passed.

The vampire walked right up to him.  I followed his movement with the gun.  He was staring at the lawyer's face as if he couldn't believe his eyes.  “What have you done to yourself?”  To my amazement, he reached out and took the lawyer's jaw between his fingers.  He turned his face to him and lifted up a corner of his mouth, exposing perfectly ordinary canines.

Mr. Lucien wasn't taking that sitting down.  He smacked the vampire's hands away and stood up very quickly.  The vampire's chalky white face was frozen in an expression of deep disapproval.  “What happened to your fangs?” he asked quietly, his voice threatening.

Finally Mr. Lucien met the vampire's eyes.  He wore a defiant look.  “I had them removed.” he answered stiffly.

The vampire's eyes narrowed to slits.  Now he looked dangerous.  I kept my gun trained on him but now I was confused.  I started to open my mouth to say something to remind the two men, vampires, that I was still there, and then decided against it.  I would wait and see if these two gave up any more information.

They continued to ignore me.  “Why would you have your fangs removed?” the vampire asked, looking as if it took a great amount of will to speak in a normal tone of voice.

“Because I don't need them.” he said obstinately.  “In fact, they got in the way. They were a hindrance.”

The vampire looked as if he was speaking a foreign language to him.  “What are you talking about?  We need our fangs.”  Then he was suspicious again.  “You're trying to fit in,” he accused.  “With _them_?”  He pointed at me, the disgust in his voice made me feel like a piece of trash.

The lawyer held himself straight.  “I'm not trying, I do fit in.  The world is a much smaller place than it used to be.  Humans are much stronger now.  It's not just me, all of us are fitting in now.  Getting rid of our fangs, finding night jobs.  Participating in a strong society rather than riskily picking off its members.  Very few still cling to your ancient ways.”

The vampire snorted.  “Next you will tell me that you eat lettuce and walk around in the daytime.”

“I drink blood, but not from humans.”

Now the vampire looked absolutely disgusted, and furious.  “You drink animal blood?!  Don't you know how weak that makes you?”

“Still stronger than a human.” Mr. Lucien said firmly.  “I prefer not being too strong. I don't catch any undue attention that way.”

I couldn’t point my gun at both of them, so I just kept it on the vampire that had attacked me.  Mr. Lucien had only manipulated me, not directly endangered my capacity to breathe.  Things were getting weirder by the minute though and I wasn't sure how long I could sit there in silence.  It seemed like the whole world had suddenly gone crazy and I was the only sane one left.

The vampire crossed his arms over his chest.  “So, what do you do?” he asked.  “What is your job that lets you 'fit in' with human society?”

“I'm a lawyer. I go by the name David Lucien.”

A strange expression crossed the vampire's face.  I was shocked to see that it was amusement.  He was desperately trying to squash it, though rather unsuccessfully.  “A lawyer?” he asked, trying to keep his face straight.  Mr. Lucien nodded, definitely not amused.  A small laugh escaped the vampire lips.  He clamped them down tight. “I see...” he said with difficulty.

Mr. Lucien was not the kind of man, vampire, to take being laughed at.  He moved to the door swiftly.  He turned back to the vampire while he walked.  “You're not allowed to leave this house,” he warned. “Do not harm this young woman, either.”  He pointed at me.  “She is here to protect you.”

The vampire couldn't hold in his mirth any longer.  “Protect me?” he laughed.  “From what?”

David Lucien's expression was deadly serious.  “From Nora.”

“Nora?”  The vampire lowered his arms, his expression turning serious.  “She... wants me dead?”

“Stay here, do not let her discover you.”  Mr. Lucien looked over at me.  “Can you let me out?” he asked.

I picked up the keys off the table with my free hand.  The vampire's eyes darted to the keys, watching closely.  I vowed then that I wasn't putting the keys down anywhere ever again.

“You can put the gun down.” the lawyer told me.  I hesitated, not willing to let go of the somewhat imagined protection of the silver gun.  It had no bullets, but I bet it would hurt if I hit either vampire with it.  “He won't harm you.”

The vampire snorted.  “Yes I will.”

David Lucien turned back to the vampire.  “No, you won't,” he said firmly.  “If you know what's good for you.”

I decided to take a chance.  The vampire was slow, due to his injury.  I put the gun back in my jeans and walked over to let the lawyer out.  I wasn't very happy, but what could I do?  If Mr. Lucien truly was a vampire as well, he could certainly force me to stay here.  He knew where my Mom lived and I was sure he wouldn’t hesitate in using her to threaten me.

I looked at him sourly, despising him now.  I wonder if I didn't like him earlier because I somehow knew that he was unusual then.  Did I not like him because he was a vampire, or because he was a lawyer? Still, Great Aunt Katrina had trusted him with her entire estate, and she had to have known him for what he was, right?  Looks like I would have to trust him as well, whether I liked it or not.

I unlocked the door and let him out.  I closed the heavy door tightly and it locked automatically.  I turned and nearly shrieked.  The vampire was right behind me.  His face inches from mine. My heart jack-hammered in my chest.  I reached for the gun, but my back was pressed against the door.  He was so close that I would touch him if I moved even a little bit.  And I really didn't want to touch him.

His expression was scrutinizing, rather than hostile.  “How are you supposed to protect me?” he asked.  He reached his hand up and placed the tip of his forefinger to my forehead.  “Are you special in some way?”

“Not really.” I answered honestly, hoping he would back off.

“Can you fight?  Are you telekinetic?  Are you a hunter?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I'm normal.”

He squinted a little, as if he didn't believe me and, if he looked hard enough, I would sprout a tail or horns, or something.  Finally he backed off.  “How's normalcy supposed to protect me?” he asked himself more than me.

I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with air.  I had taken small, shallow breaths when he was so close in case I touched him.  I put some thought into his question.  “Perhaps I am so normal that this Nora won't think to look for you here.” I answered.

He looked mildly surprised.  “That's an interesting notion.  You seem to have some small amount of intellect.”  He had an air about him as if he had complimented me greatly.

Well I wasn't going to fall over myself to be grateful.  In fact I was becoming downright annoyed.

“Why does Nora want me dead?” he asked himself softly.  He looked around at his surroundings.  “I suppose I could stay here for a few days.  Until I learn more of what has transpired while I was imprisoned.”  He looked back over at me.  “I will need you to accumulate research materials for me during the day.”

I snorted.  I might have to make sure he didn't get into trouble, but I was not going to be his servant.  “Look things up yourself.”  I walked over to the desk in the living room and picked up the laptop that was sitting on it.  I walked back over to the vampire and thrust it into his hands.

I headed for the stairs. I was going to barricade myself in my room and try to get a few hours of sleep before the sun rose.  If I didn’t I was likely to collapse.  The vampire could take care of himself for a bit.

He looked at the laptop in his hands.  “What the hell am I supposed to do with this thing?” he asked, irritated.

“Figure it out yourself,” I said shortly, and headed up the stairs.  I didn't look back to see the expression on his face, but I hoped it was dumbfounded.


	6. Best Laid Plans

I woke hours later, but definitely not a full eight of them.  I lay face down on the bed, one arm hanging off and my face buried in the pillow.  It was so comfortable lying here, and I was very reluctant to relinquish that feeling. I shifted slightly, and my shoulder throbbed in protest.  The night before came rushing into my head and my eyes shot open.  I sat up quickly, looking around.

The door to my room was still closed and locked, the desk chair jammed up under the doorknob. The vampire was probably strong enough that the chair was a paltry defense, but when he smashed it to bits, I would have some warning.

He’d let me be while I slept.  I checked my keys, just in case.  They were still under the pillow, along with the empty gun and the silver glove.

Pale sunlight was streaming into the room through the curtain.  That was defense too, I supposed.

I trawled through my brain, trying to remember every detail I had ever heard or read about vampires.  I didn't think taking Hollywood as gospel would be a great idea, but there might be some truths there.

I remembered reading that vampires were compelled to sleep during the day in their coffins.  The vampire's coffin was up in the sunshine-filled attic, so I doubted he was there, but if he really was compelled to sleep during the day, that meant I had some time to myself.

I changed my clothes quickly, not really paying attention to what I put on, just making sure it was clean.

I unblocked the door and opened it tentatively, and peered out into the hall.  Silence was thick in the air.  There were no windows in the hall, so the only light was from my window.  I stepped out and closed the door behind me, and the darkness was as thick as the silence.  I flicked on the light, but it was much too dim.

I tiptoed down the hall to the bathroom.  I had the silver glove on, the palm pressed against my leg so it wouldn't make any sound.  I opened the bathroom door.  Sunlight from the tiny window in the shower lit up the white tiles.  I sighed in relief and stepped inside.

After a searing hot shower I felt almost normal.  Brushing my teeth helped a lot toward that end as well.  It took a long time to comb out my hair and I was thankful for that because I was reluctant to go back out into the hallway.

When my hair was nearly dry and had not a single tangle or snarl in it, I finally opened the door and went out into the hallway.  I decided to check out the other rooms on this floor before heading downstairs.  With any luck, the vampire had dug himself a hole in the basement.  That way I wouldn't have to see him at all.

But really, did I expect myself to be that lucky?

I opened the door to the other small bedroom on the other side of the bathroom from mine. Sunlight greeted me from the window.  I closed the door again.  Not in there.

I crept up to the door to the Master Bedroom.  I tried the knob; not locked.  I opened it slowly.  Darkness greeted me.  Damn.

The huge windows across from the door were covered completely, not a single ray of sunlight penetrating into the room.  Yeah, he was in here.

Just strolling into the vampire's den was not the best of ideas.  Mr. Lucien had told him not to harm me, but I still wasn't going to trust either of them.  What I needed to do was see if the vampire was compelled to sleep or not.  It would make daytime more bearable if he passed out stone cold whenever the sun rose.

The switch for the bedroom light was right by the door, but I didn't flip it on.  I didn't want to startle the vampire.  Though vampires were supposed to have excellent hearing as well as strength, and a Swiss army knife's worth of other powers.  Maybe he already knew I was there.

Nothing to do but to go forward.  I slipped past the closet doors, squinting in the gloom.  I could see the bathroom door was open.  The bed was right next to me now, I could see his outline as he lay sprawled on it.  I ignored him, walking over to the windows.

They were sealed tightly.  Duct tape had been used to seal the edges closed.  I explored the work with my fingers.  A lot of duct tape.

I had the sudden urge to rip the tape off. I glanced back at the bed.  I probably couldn't get the window clear before he stopped me anyway.  Besides, it wasn't in me to harm someone while they were sleeping.  Even when I was defending myself, I hadn't been able to kill him.

I walked back over to the bed.  I would find out now if he was a threat during the day or not.  I might have been driven crazy by last night's events, or I was just numb to fear at this point. Of course, there was curiosity as well.  This was the first vampire I had ever met.  How much was he like the lore?  What was different?

I stayed a couple of feet away from him and just peered at him.  In the dark I couldn't see much more than his silhouette, and the white streaks in his hair reflecting in the dim light from the hallway.  I strained my ears, listening for breathing.  I waited a long moment, holding my own breath.  Just when I was about to pass out I heard the slightest whisper of breath.

“What are you doing?” he asked calmly.  “Looking for a place to put a stake?”

I jumped guiltily, inhaling sharply. Then I realized that I shouldn't feel guilty.  This was my house, and I hadn't been planning anything nefarious.  I put my hands on my hips.  “Shouldn't you be lying in the ground somewhere, rather than vandalizing the Master Bedroom?”  I gestured to the covered windows.

“This is my house, so the biggest room is mine,” he said simply.

Just who the hell did he think he was?  Before I could think of a good retort, I spotted a black rectangle lying on the bed next to him.  I moved swiftly, snatching the laptop up off the bed.  I checked it, it was still turned on.

“What's wrong with you?” I scolded the vampire, without thinking.  “You can't leave it on the bed. Do you want to overheat it?”  I placed the laptop on the nightstand carefully.

He sat up.  “Is that why it stopped working?” he asked blithely. “You'll have to get me another one.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.  “I'll have someone look at it, it'll be fine.”

He stood up, straightening his tattered shirt as neatly as was possible.  “There are still many things that I will need you to get for me.” he said matter-of-factly.  My admonishments had just rolled off of him.  “I'll need new clothes, for one.”  He reached over to the nightstand and turned on the lamp.  I stepped back, keeping a few feet between us.

He walked over to the closet and inspected the contents. They were mostly empty.  His expression was disapproving.  He continued. “I'll need some things for the bathroom...”  Now I knew he was putting me on.  What vampire uses the bathroom?  Though, I supposed he'd want a shower after sleeping in a box for fifty years.  “And, I'll need blood.”  He shut the closet doors with a snap.

I held up my hands.  “Wait, back up just a minute.  I am not giving you my blood.” I said bluntly.

“You don't have to give me yours.” he said dismissively.  “Anyone's will do.”

I felt momentarily sick.  “Oh no, no way.  Not in a million years.”

“Well, I can't go and get it myself if I’m supposed to be holed up here.”  His voice was entirely too reasonable.  It must be some kind of vampire hypnosis to keep me agreeable.  I needed to get out of here before things became dangerous.  I turned toward the door.

“Stop.” he said quietly.

My legs immediately stopped moving.  I felt a familiar pressure inside of my head.  I was so close to the door, just a few feet away.  I turned my head and looked back at him.  His face was tight and impassive.  He was having a hard time keeping me from moving.

Knowing that he was struggling made things easier for me.  I found myself able to move again.  “Nice try.” I said coolly and stalked over to the door.  “You survived a long time without any blood, you'll live.”

“I won't.”  I stopped again, this time in the doorway.  It wasn't his mind-controlling power this time.  It was the way his voice sounded.  Weak and needy.  I mentally cursed myself for being so soft as I turned back around.

His expression was serious.  “Lying in that box didn't take much effort, but, I've been injured.  By you.” My eyes went to the hole in his shirt.  The skin showing through was blackened and sick looking.  “I'll need blood to fully recover.”

His voice was so smooth it made my skin crawl.  He was being honest, though.  I could see how much he hated admitting any kind of weakness to me.

“Then you can have animal blood, just like Mr. Lucien.” I said firmly.  I would have to call the lawyer and find out where he obtained his supply.  He didn't strike me as the type to hunt down neighborhood strays.

He opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted by the doorbell.  I looked out into the hallway, then back.  “Stay in here.” I said, pointing at him with the hand wearing the silver glove.  I shut the door as I left.

I hurried down the stairs as the doorbell chimed again.  I pulled out my keys and sprinted across the kitchen.  At the last second, I pulled off the silver glove, hiding it behind my back before I opened the door.

It was a deliveryman.  He had two boxes stacked on the porch next to him.  He asked my name, then handed me a clipboard.

I looked at the name of the sender.  Mr. David Lucien.  I smiled wryly and signed for the packages.  I had the deliveryman set the boxes up in the kitchen.  “These have to be refrigerated.”  I nodded absently, my eyes on the stairs the entire time.

After I had shown the deliveryman out, I looked over the boxes.  What would Mr. Lucien be sending me at a time like this...  Could it be?

I grabbed a box cutter from the junk drawer and cut open the first box. Inside were at least twenty plastic bottles.  I pulled one out, looking it over.  It was made from white plastic, with no label.  I immediately guessed what was inside and was thankful.  A clear bottle filled with animal blood would have freaked me out.

I filled up a whole drawer in the fridge with the bottles.  That took care of half a box. The rest would have to go downstairs.  I hoped this stuff froze well.

I couldn't carry a whole box by myself so I opened up the second box and brought everything down in several trips.  While I was at it I cleaned up the mess the vampire had made of the hidden door.

The vampire drifted down the stairs just as I had finished all of the work.  I tossed him a white bottle.  He caught it automatically, with a grace I would never be able to muster.  Weak and injured, my ass.

“What is this?” he asked.

“Breakfast.” I told him shortly.  It was then that I thought to look in the living room. Surely the large glass window in there would keep the vampire upstairs. It had also been covered with several black garbage bags and copious amounts of duct tape.  I frowned.  “That window’s not staying like that.”

The vampire opened the bottle and sniffed the contents.  “This is cold.” he complained.

“Microwave's in the kitchen.” I told him.

He walked into the kitchen and looked around.  “What is a microwave?”  He stood next to the table, looking bewildered and helpless.

I balled my hands into fists and marched into the kitchen.  I took the bottle from him, capped it, and placed it in the microwave.  I was deliberately not thinking about the contents of the bottle, or I was seriously going to freak out.  I wasn’t the squeamish type, but everyone had their limits.

I set the microwave for two minutes and exited the kitchen again.  “Take it out when it dings.”  I wasn't looking at him, instead I searched around the living room for the downstairs phone.

I was checking under couch cushions when the timer on the microwave went off.  I paused, listening as the vampire opened the microwave and took out the bottle.  I waited while he opened the bottle.  “This smells awful.” he said irritably. “And it's still cold.”

“Then starve.” I said shortly, shoving the cushions back into place.  I would just use the upstairs phone.

  
  


********

  
  


_I stared down at the white bottle in my hand.  It was disgusting.  She actually expected me to drink this?  Humans, blood was all the same to them._

_Humans couldn't understand.  Animals were weak.  Some of them had a fair amount of intelligence, some had brute strength.  Humans weren’t anywhere near vampires, but humans had intelligence and strength.  By drinking their blood, you absorbed their strength, their tenacity.  The stronger the human, the stronger you became.  Drinking something weaker just made you weaker._

_I placed the bottle on the counter.  I wasn't drinking this._

_My chest throbbed in pain, a reminder as to why I needed to feed.  That blazing bullet had nearly torn me in two.  My skin had just barely healed over the gaping hole that girl had dug out of me.  If I exerted myself even a little, it would rip open._

_And there was also that aching hunger.  It had been such a long time since I last fed.  I could feel the years weighing down on me.  I looked at my hands, inspecting each tiny wrinkle.  Blood would wipe them away._

_I walked away from the bottled blood on the counter.  She was weak, but she was a human, better than pig's blood.  She had also been foolish enough to leave her silver glove on the kitchen table._

_I climbed the stairs after her.  My influence wasn't strong right now, but if I took her by surprise, stopped her for just a moment...  Lucien had told me not to harm her.  He had warned me out of concern for me, not the girl.  Killing her would inconvenience him at the most._

_I followed her scent to the door by the stairs.  I could hear her moving around on the other side.  This was Katrina’s room. Had she taken it over when she inherited the house?_

_Katrina’s room... how did I know that?  What had happened to me fifty years ago?  How had I ended up locked away in my own attic?_

_The house had changed over the years, but I still recognized it as the house I had bought seven decades ago.  How had Katrina taken it from me?_

_Katrina...  Her hair had been red as fire, and she had been just as dangerous.  Every time I thought I had finally won, had finally beaten her, she would surprise me.  How many times had I almost died by her hands?_

_Why couldn’t I remember anything else?_

_This girl that was here in Katrina's place was nothing like her.  Katrina was strong, while this girl was weak.  They looked similar, enough to have thrown me off guard, but this girl's features were too gentle and soft._

_I wouldn't be thrown off my guard again._

_It was still daytime, not quite the afternoon. My internal clock could feel the sun's slow crawl across the sky.  I was careful to stick to the shadows outside of the bedroom.  I could not enter that room, filled with sunlight as it was.  I would wait until she came out._

_Eventually, the door opened.  The small amount of sunlight that spilled out of the room made me squint.  It could not burn me unless it fell directly on me, but it hurt to look at._

_It was another reminder of how weak I was.  If I was at my full strength, full of blood, then sunlight was much more bearable.  It would still burn, especially at the brightest time of the day, but I could survive longer and heal the burns more quickly._

_She stepped out of the room, passing right by me without noticing.  I started to move in, but the sunlight glinted off of silver and I paused.  She had the silver gun in one hand, the long chain attached to the belt of her pants.  I could not risk touching the silver, injured as I was._

_I let out a hiss of rage._

_She jumped and spun around. Her eyes were wide and frightened.  She should be frightened.  If not for that gun, her blood would have been mine._

_She pointed the gun at me.  “Don't make me put you back up in the attic.” she warned._

_I scoffed at her.  “If you could do that, you would have done it already.”_

_She changed subjects quickly.  “I'm going out, try not to cause any trouble.”  She backed away from me, reaching behind her for the stair railing._

_I watched her make her way slowly down the stairs, looking for an opening in her guard.  She was much too alert.  I walked over to the stairs, putting both hands on the railing and peering down.  She didn't look away from me.  Once she was downstairs, she ran out of sight.  I could hear her footsteps as she ran through the living room and kitchen.  I heard the front door open and close._

_I dug my claws into the railing, carving deep grooves into the wood._

  
  


_********_

  
  


_She did not return until nightfall.  I sat in one of the stools on the other side of the long counter in the kitchen, staring at the bottle of blood congealing on the counter.  I was also keeping my eyes on the door._

_She came in carrying two large bags, filled with books.  She had one book open in one hand, reading it while she closed the door.  The lock clicked heavily.  It was an automatic lock, good to know.  I could not see the silver gun, but the silver chain stuck out from under her sweater, so I knew she was still armed._

“ _Have you calmed down a bit?” she asked me without looking up from her book.  She set both bags on the kitchen table._

“ _No.” I told her honestly._

_She looked over at me.  “I never thought I would see a vampire sulking,” she commented._

_That got to me. I could feel my anger beginning to boil.  “I am not sulking!”  I stood up and pushed myself away from the counter.  I walked into the living room, but there was nothing in there that interested me._

_She waved her book in the air in front of her.  “God, that stinks,” she said in a disgusted voice.  “If you're not going to drink that, throw it out.  It's such a waste.”_

_I wasn't going to touch it. If the smell bothered her that much, she could dispose of it._

_She went back to her book.  It was a thick paperback.  I couldn't see the title or front cover, but the back cover was black._

“ _What happens if you go out in the sun?” she asked suddenly._

“ _I would burn.” I answered shortly._

“ _It would kill you?”_

“ _Of course.”  Was she simple, or just daft?  Why else had I covered the windows?_

“ _That's good to know.”  She sat at the table, leafing through her book.  She was reading up on vampires, of course.  I had to admit to myself that I was interested.  What new lore had been written about us in the last fifty years?_

_I walked into the kitchen and investigated the bags.  I pulled out a number of books, reading the titles.  I read a few back covers as well._

_One in particular stood out.  I read the back and couldn't believe what I was seeing.  I opened it up, starting in the middle, and skimmed over a few pages.  I started to laugh, I couldn't help myself, it was ridiculous.  A helpless, brainless female looked after by a strong vampire bodyguard who inexplicably loved her.  What kind of vapid moron would enjoy this?_

_She looked up at me, an irritated expression on her face.  “If this is the kind of information you're finding on vampires, then I have nothing to worry about.” I chortled.  I tossed the book in front of her._

_She arched a dark brow, checking out the title of the book.  “You should see the TV remake for this one.” she remarked.  “It's even worse.  The vampires are all harmless pretty boys.”  She gave me a cutting look.  “Obviously it's greatly exaggerated.  There's nothing remotely attractive about you.”  She went back to her reading._

_I narrowed my eyes.  She had stabbed me in my pride.  I could feel that deep well of rage inside of me bubbling to the surface again.  I looked at the backs of my hands, trying to calm myself.  My anger was my weakness.  It had gotten me into trouble in the past, and would continue to do so if I let it._

_Looking at my hands only made things worse.  They were lined with age and paper-white.  I knew that the rest of me was as well.  I could only wonder about my face, though I wasn't willing to take a look in a mirror._

_I looked away from my hands, back at her.  There was amusement in her dark brown eyes.  She was silently laughing at me._

_My hands tightened into fists.  I turned away from her and was at the counter in one step.  I picked up the bottle off the counter downed it in two gulps._

_It was truly awful.  The blood hadn't been heated up properly in the first place, plus it had been sitting out for hours.  It oozed down my throat like sludge and took a great deal of effort not to gag._

_Slamming the empty bottle back down on the counter, I tried not to think of the awful taste in my mouth.  Instead I concentrated on the change._

_It started inside of me.  My body instantly began to heal the bullet wound.  A cool feeling spread blissfully from the searing burn and then throughout my body.  The healing hadn't reached my skin yet.  I needed more blood._

_I moved to the icebox, taking pleasure in the fact that my movements were fluid and swift once more.  I took out two more bottles of the pig's blood.  I opened them and drank them cold._

_I ignored the flat taste. Separated from the body, the blood had little energy in it.  It was up to my system to manually process the blood in order to finish regenerating._

_I focused my attention back on my hands.  Before my eyes the skin tightened, grew smooth.  Color flooded the deathly pale skin, giving it a much more lifelike hue.  It was just a myth that vampires are the dead-that-walks.  We are indeed living, breathing beings.  Well... we can breathe if we want to, not that we always have to._

_I took a deep breath when I felt no pain in my chest.  I turned back to the girl triumphantly._

_She was looking at me, her book lay forgotten on the table.  Her expression had changed; she looked positively dumbstruck.  That pleased me greatly.  I moved swiftly out of the kitchen, heading for the bathroom and its mirror._


	7. Strange New World

 

After a long moment I went back to my book, but I couldn't really focus on the words anymore.  I'd really done it now, hadn't I?

Before I had irritated him, before he had drunk the blood, he had looked so much older.  Weaker.  Now he was completely transformed.  I could only guess how much stronger he was with his restored youth.

I could kick myself.  How little time did I have left now that he was well and whole?

I pushed the book away, having had enough of vampires.  I decided to hole myself up in my room for a bit.  That way I couldn't dig myself deeper into trouble.

I got up and headed for the stairs quickly.  I almost made it.

“You're not going anywhere.” he said behind me.  His voice had changed as well, had become smoother.  Only by the absence of his slight rasp did I know it had been there in the first place.

I stopped and turned, reaching behind me for the silver gun tucked in my jeans.  If I survived the next few days, I would have to get a holster for it.  I was surprised there wasn't one in Great Aunt Katrina's gear.  Then again, if she had spent a lot of time around this vampire, she probably hadn’t been silly enough to put the gun away.

The vampire was so pleased with himself, he was practically glowing.  His skin had some color now, at least.  He was still pale as death, but if he didn't smile and reveal his fangs, he could pass for human.  Even with the weird red-brown eyes.

He had gotten a hold of a pair of scissors while he was in the bathroom.  His black hair was short now, and combed neatly.  The style was old fashioned, and slightly comical to me.  He smiled, and I could see his fangs were white.  He had brushed his teeth while he was in the bathroom.  I wondered why, if he was just going to get them bloody again.

It was apparent that he was going to attack me and I would be done for.  I wasn’t going to be fast enough and the gun was practically useless for anything other than smacking him, which I was sure would stop him for all of two seconds.

Despite my approaching peril, two things occurred to me.  His face, that hair. I had seen both in Katrina’s journal.  That picture she had come back to over and over again, adding minute details each time, that was a portrait of her greatest enemy.

The second thought that occurred to me made my stomach turn.  “You used my toothbrush, didn’t you?”  I kept a spare one in the downstairs bathroom out of laziness mostly, so I didn’t have to climb the stairs after eating dinner before spending the night in front of the TV.  Still, I _had_ used it twice.  If I survived this encounter somehow, I’d have to burn it.

“You must buy me new clothes, right now,” he said cheerfully, ignoring the mess of emotions my expression must have held.

I blinked at him.  “Wha-?” I was so taken aback, I almost fell over.  I gathered myself.  “What? Now?”

His expression turned aloof.  “I'm assuming you inherited a good bit of money along with my home,” he said coolly.  “I will not wear these clothes a moment longer.  There must be a haberdashery open somewhere.”  He indicated his suit, frowning deeply.

I could see his point.  The suit was fifty years old, possibly older, and the front of the shirt was badly torn from his own failed attempts at clawing the silver bullet out of his chest.  Besides, if he wanted me to leave the house, who was I to complain?  “Uh... okay.  A 'haberdashery', I'll pretend I know what that is.”  I checked my jeans for my wallet.  My shiny new checking card was in there.

“Excellent.  We leave at once.”  He was so energetic now, so full of life, it was taking me a bit to catch up.

“Wait.” I stopped him.  “You're not allowed to leave.”  I bit my lip as his expression grew dark.  He crossed his arms over his chest.  I backpedaled a bit, speaking swiftly.  “Mr. Lucien warned you, remember?  About Anna-”

“Nora,” he said flatly.

“Nora.  He seemed to feel that she was a very real threat to you.  If she finds out where you are-”

The vampire waved his hand.  “She'll never find me.  Most likely she's just wound up because I disappeared for so long.  I’ll deal with her after I’m properly attired.  Besides, you're so completely dull, she would never guess that I would associate with you.”

I resisted the urge to slap him, deciding instead to switch tactics.  “You're going to run off as soon as that door opens.”  I kept my expression severe, emulating a look I’d seen on my Mom’s face time and again.  I was angry, so it was easy.

“What if I promise I won't?” he offered lightly.

I rolled my eyes.  “Give me one reason why should I trust you?”  He had given me more than enough reasons not to.

“Because I never lie,” he answered at once.  Then his face grew calm.  He watched me carefully.

“You don't really expect me to believe that, do you?” I asked incredulously.

His eyes changed color then, becoming a brighter, deeper red.  It creeped me out and I tried to look away, but found that I couldn't.  He took a few steps toward me slowly.  I found I couldn't move, either.

When he spoke, his voice was lower.  There was a resonance in it that was hypnotic. “Of course you believe me,” he said softly.

I could feel him worming his way into my head again.  I tried to fight back, but wasn’t sure how to mentally fend him off.  He squirmed into my thoughts until I couldn’t think of anything else but him and those red eyes.

Oddly enough, I felt him retreat on his own.  I still didn't take my eyes away from him, suspecting a trap.

“Shall we go?” he asked, speaking normally again.

“You're going to escape,” I said firmly.

“I promise to you that I won't.  I will return here with you after we purchase clothing.”

“You'll kill someone,” I countered.

“You want me to promise that I won't?”  he asked.  I nodded at once.  “I promise not to kill anyone.”

“Let me get my coat,” I said, resigning myself, and walked to the vestibule.  He followed after me silently.  “This Nora...” I began as I zipped up my heavy winter coat.  “She doesn't like you very much, does she?”

“She’s hopelessly in love with me, if you must know.”  He looked amused.

“I honestly can't see why,” I muttered under my breath as I unlocked the door.

  
  


********

  
  


_I watched as she unlocked the door and opened it.  Convincing her to let me out had been almost too easy.  A little pig's blood, and I could affect her mind in ways she didn't even notice.  Katrina would have routed me out immediately.  I suppressed a chuckle._

_I was going to keep my word, I always did.  I might manipulate, but I never deceived.  This girl was far too suspicious of me. She would never believe I could be honest if I didn't nudge her subtly in the right direction._

_I stepped out of the house, breathing in the chilly air.  The sun was just behind the treeline, the nighttime creatures not yet come out from their homes.  It felt good to be out in the open after spending so much time cramped in that house.  It was starting to feel like a prison._

“ _There's not much choice in town,” the girl was saying.  “but we should be able to find you something...”_

“ _Manhattan is nearby, isn't it?” I asked quickly.  It had been a long time and I wanted to see it again._

_She arched a dark brow at me.  “The city?  No way.  Too many people, and it'll take forever to get there.”  I looked around and spotted a garage._

_I still had a thin thread of control in her mind.  It wasn't much, but I didn't want it to be noticed.  I couldn't make her do anything she was dead set against, for instance, but I felt that it was enough to distract her away from any stubborn thoughts.  I tugged on the thread gently.  “You have a vehicle in the garage, correct?”_

_She nodded.  “Katrina's.  But I don't have a valid license right now, I need to renew it.”_

“ _License?”_

 _She rolled her eyes.  That was becoming irritating.  “Come on, they_ had _to have had driver's licenses fifty years ago!”_

_I shrugged.  “Did they? What is a license?”_

_She sighed.  “A license to drive.  You’re not allowed behind the wheel of a car without one.  It proves you know how to drive responsibly.”_

“ _Oh, is that all?” I said.  “No worries, I know how to operate an automobile.”_

_She looked extremely skeptical.  “You want me to let you drive? You don't even know what a license is.”_

_I tugged on the thread again.  “I really do know how to drive.  Watch, I'll prove it.”  I strode over to the garage and pulled open the door.  All those security measures Katrina had put into the house, and she hadn’t put a lock on the garage?_

_The girl was still stubborn though.  “I don't think Great Aunt Katrina has used that car in years.  I don't even know if it runs.”  I walked over to the driver's door of the beat up Sedan and tried the handle.  It was locked.  The girl kept talking.  “And besides, the only path out of here is overgrown.  I don't think the car will fit.”_

“ _It will be just fine,” I said shortly, hoping to shut her up.  It did, but she glared at me.  I looked around the garage.  I spotted a set of keys hanging on the wall and snatched them up swiftly, heading back to the car._

_I unlocked the door and slid into the driver's seat.  The girl was right. This car hadn't been used in a while, but it was clean and there was nothing obviously wrong with it.  I scanned the dash, trying to figure out if there was fuel in it.  Dashboards had been much simpler before my imprisonment.  I found the meter after a moment.  Half a tank. Perfect._

“ _Come now, let's depart.” I called out the door as I slid the key into the ignition.  I turned it and the car rumbled to life.  Looks like they made them quieter as well._

_The girl hurried over to the passenger side.  She opened the door and slipped in quickly as I shut mine.  She pulled a long strap over her chest and waist and buckled it into place.  I looked over at my own belt.  “What are these for?”_

“ _So you don't kill yourself,” she said shortly.  She reached over to the dash, adjusting one of the knobs.  She held her hands out in front of a small vent, warming them._

“ _Interesting.”  I promptly ignored the strap, preparing to back the car out of the garage._

“ _You have to put it on.  It's the law.”_

“ _There's actually a law in place forcing people to protect themselves?” I asked.  She nodded.  I shrugged, pulling the belt down over my chest.  “I don't want to look out of place,” I murmured._

“ _Let's get this over with,” the girl said tightly, looking straight ahead out the windshield.  Her face was grim, like she was facing a firing squad._

_I drove out of the garage and steered toward the path in the trees.  It was rather narrow, but we made it through with just a few tree branches brushing against the windows.  I turned left at the road._

“ _You know which way you're going?” She asked, curious._

“ _Unless they've moved the bridge, yes.”_

“ _Well, they've added a couple, I think,” she replied.  “I guess it didn't occur to me you would know where you were.”_

“ _Why shouldn't I know where my own house is?” I asked incredulously._

“ _You keep saying that.  Why do you think it's your house?”_

“ _Because it_ _ **is**_ _my house, bought and paid for in nineteen forty-eight from an old man named Jameson.  It used to sit on farmland until the barn burned down, killing all of his livestock.  I got it for a steal.”  I smiled slowly._

_She shook her head.  “It was Great Aunt Katrina's house.  The deed was in her name 'til it was passed on to me.”_

“ _The hell it was.” My voice was indignant.  “She must have laid claim to it after imprisoning me.  I'll bet Lucien helped her with the paperwork, too.  He's always been good at that sort of thing.”  My voice rose a little as I let my frustration out.  “I hadn’t even had the chance to move in, and she sealed me up in the attic!”_

“ _You owned the house almost two decades and you never moved in?” she asked._

_My head clouded as I tried to recall.  Some memories came back so clearly, while others were muddled.  “I didn’t buy it to move into it right away.  It was for 'just in case'.”_

“' _Just in case' of what?”_

_My hands gripped the wheel tightly.  “I don’t remember.  There have been plenty of renovations,” I said hotly, thinking of the glass roof.  “But the original structure is the same.  It's still my house.” I would have to speak to Lucien to see if I could have the deed switched back to my name.  I would also see what became of my other financial resources._

_Until then, I would extort what I could from the girl.  It shouldn't be too difficult, and except clothing, I didn’t require many commodities._

_So many times in my life I'd been left with literally nothing but the clothes on my back.  I had learned that the right clothing could get you into places you might not otherwise be allowed in.  Over the centuries I had become particular about what I wore as it was often the only physical representation of my personality I had._

_I let the silence drag on.  I had spent a long time in that box, I was used to silence.  One would think after so long not talking to anyone, I would be grateful for whatever company I could find.  That was not the case with this girl, however.  Her personality grated against my own in a way that was painful.  The silence was much more preferable than the sound of her voice.  Not that her voice was unpleasant on its own, but a gunshot wound to the chest was enough to form an instant opinion about someone._

_Thus we managed to get on the bridge, pay the toll, and get off on the other side with little to no speaking.  Once we were in Manhattan I had her give me directions.  She knew the city a lot better than I did._

_So much had changed, as I knew it must have.  Manhattan was bigger, brighter, and busier than it had ever been before my incapacitation. But underneath the shiny exterior I could still see the old city.  Many of the buildings I recognized, to my pleasant surprise.  It had a wardrobe change over the years, but it was still Manhattan to me._

_We found a parking space and left the car.  I watched with interest as the girl put money into the machine on the sidewalk and it fed out a ticket which she then put on the dashboard.  I made careful note on how the procedure was done, since the quicker I learned how this new world worked, the quicker I could separate myself from this human._

  
  


********

  
  


In times of stress, one likes to be in familiar places, surrounded by people they knew.  Even if you don't want to speak to anyone and just brood and wallow in your own problems, most people choose familiar surroundings over someplace foreign.

That was probably why I ended up taking him to the Village.

It was utter insanity, I kept telling myself.  Most of my friends either lived or hung out in the area. What would I do if one of them got hurt? I told myself that maybe I chose this area because he wouldn't stand out so much here, but I didn't believe myself one bit.

We spent some time walking around.  The vampire had his hands in his pockets, unconcerned about his appearance.  I saw that even with his ruined shirt he wasn't getting any odd looks.  Only in New York.  I relaxed, but only a little.

“Do you want to head into The Gap?” I asked, pointing across the street.  It was the first clothing store I spotted.  I was thinking only of heading back to Long Island as soon as possible.

He turned and inspected the front of the store.  His red-brown eyes looked over the display windows.  “No, I think not.”  He turned and continued walking.

I followed him closely, walking right beside him.  His stride was longer than mine, so I had to move quickly to keep up.  I wasn't risking letting him out of my sight, no matter what he had promised.

We passed by a Hot Topic.  I stopped, clasping onto the back of his tattered suit jacket.  He stopped as well and turned his head back to me, wearing an annoyed look.  “Why are you touching me?”

“What about in here?” I asked.  “Don't vampires like this kind of stuff?”

He looked over the storefront.  There were display posters up, advertising merchandise from the latest vampire movie out in theaters.  He looked back at me.  “Hell no,” he said, then kept on walking.

I was still holding onto the back of his jacket, so I was half-dragged a few steps before I caught up with him.  “Well, what store do you want to go into?” I asked irritably, releasing him.

“Can't we just walk around for a bit?” he asked, annoyance creeping back into his voice.

“No.” I retorted.  “I don't trust you as far as I can throw you.”

“Look, I'm not going to kill anyone.” He was becoming agitated.  “I just want some fresh air after being trapped inside of a stone box for five decades. Is that so hard to believe?  Vampires don't just constantly think about ripping open one of you meat sacks and feasting on the innards.”  He paused and thought a moment.  “Well, some do, but I can appreciate a nice night out just as much as you can, all right?”

“'Meat sack'?” I asked, arching a brow.

He sighed in exasperation.  “All right, fine!”  He looked around quickly.  “Let's go in there.”  He pointed across the street.

I followed the direction he pointed.  Both of my eyebrows raised now.  “The Armani Exchange?”

“What?  Is there something wrong with it?” He asked, stepping to the curb.

“It's a bit expensive,” I said worriedly.

“Knowing Lucien, money is the least of our concerns,” the vampire told me.  “He's always been good with money.  I wouldn't have made it through the crash of '29 without him.  He wouldn't have let Katrina squander my fortune.”

“But it's okay if _we_ squander it?”

“Do you want to get this done or not?”

I gave up and followed him.  We entered the store and I immediately felt out of place.  This store was so high end, I could almost smell money sewn into the clothes.  I straightened out my winter coat self-consciously.  I had bought it at Rainbow nearly four years ago.

I peered over at the vampire.  He looked entirely at ease, his hands back in his pants pockets, tattered black suit, shredded white shirt, old-fashioned hairstyle and all.  He’d been noticeably on edge since we started out, now he finally looked relaxed.

A woman walked up to us immediately, smiling that false smile salespeople use when they want to sell you a lot of something.  I glanced at her name tag: Meg.  She stopped short when she took in the vampire's appearance.  Her lips tightened into a disapproving line.

I watched him smile charmingly at the woman.  To me, it was the most false smile I had ever seen, but Meg's expression changed completely.  She smiled back shyly.  “Sir,” she began hesitantly.  “Are you sure this is the right store for you?”

“I can buy clothing here, correct?  Men's clothing preferably,” he asked smoothly.  The woman nodded.  I could see that she was pretty reluctant to throw him out, even if he looked like a hobo fresh from a fistfight.  “Well then, you can see I am in dire need of new clothing.”  He was using that deceptively reasonable tone of voice of his.  I suspected he was using his mind control voodoo on the woman.  Mostly because she hadn't freaked when she saw his fangs.

She nodded again, eager to please.  “I can see that, sir, but still-”

He cut her off, coming to a realization.  “I think I see the problem here.  You look at my disheveled appearance and see nothing but a vagrant.”

The woman actually blushed.  I gaped at her.  She had to be at least ten years older than me, and here she was blushing like a thirteen year old.  “No, that's not it!” she said quickly.

Of course it was.  Now she was just acting idiotic.  I sighed and looked over at the door longingly.  Perhaps if I knocked over a display mannequin, security would step in and throw us out.  That wasn't likely though. The vampire would probably voodoo his way out of that, too.

“You need not worry.  I do have money.”  He reached into his pant's pocket and pulled out a gold checking card.  “I believe you can access my funds using this?”  He showed her the card.

My hand flew to the back pocket of my jeans, which was hidden under my coat.  My wallet was still there.  I pulled it out and opened it; the checking card was gone.  I blinked in disbelief for a few seconds, then turned my attention back to the vampire.  I glared at the back of his head while I re-pocketed my wallet.

Not only had he taken the wallet without me noticing, but he'd put it back...  When?  How? How had he even known to take the card?  Maybe I shouldn't have given him the laptop.  Who knows what else he'd learned.

“What can I help you with?” Meg asked, her face now donning a professional smile.

The vampire grinned at her.  She didn't even blink at his exposed fangs.  Yep, vampire mind voodoo at work.  “Oh, I need everything,” he answered.

“Right this way.” She turned and gestured for us to follow her.

I held back and just kept my eye on the vampire, not really getting involved in his picking and choosing among the clothes.  Every now and then I glanced at a price label, but I stopped doing that real quick.  It was making me light-headed.

While he was in the changing room I stood right outside, listening to make sure he didn't sneak off somehow.  Meg gave me a strange look, but I ignored her.

He exited the changing room wearing a dark blue, velvet military-style blazer and black pants.  Even I had to admit it was a huge difference from his old clothes, which were lying in a pile on the floor.  I gathered them up and handed them to Meg, who placed them in a bag.

We paid for the clothes he was wearing and a few more articles he had picked out then we headed out.  Meg followed us, holding out the bag that contained his old clothes.  The vampire shook his head.  “I don't want those anymore.”

“What should I do with them?” she asked.

He shrugged.  “Burn 'em.”  Then he turned and we exited the store.

“Hold onto this,” he said, holding the shopping bag out to me.

I pushed the bag away.  “Carry your own stuff.”

He frowned, but didn't argue.  He looked around.  “This way,” he said, and we headed down the block.

The next store we stopped in was H&M, which was a relief to me.  I didn't feel so out of place and there weren't any annoying salesgirls falling all over us.

After he had chosen a few more things, he turned to me.  I was checking my watch, which I kept turned around so the face was on the inside of my wrist.  I looked at him, his expression was critical, disapproving.  “What?” I asked defensively.

He didn't answer.  Instead he grabbed me by the wrist and practically dragged me over to the ladies' section.  “Oh, no,” I said, pulling my arm out of his grasp.  He let me go easily, I wouldn't have been able to get my arm back otherwise.  “This is _your_ little trip, remember?”  I gestured in a circle with one finger.

“I'm not trying to be nice,” he said sourly.  “I honestly can't keep walking around with you looking like that.”

I felt my temper flare up.  “Tough.  I'm not leaving you by yourself while I'm in a changing room.”

“The coat, at least change the coat.  It's a puffy, pea-colored atrocity.”  He took the faux-fur trimming on my hood between two fingers, his expression one of distaste.

“No.” I bristled.  “I like my atrocity, thank you very much.”  I wasn't especially fond of the color myself, but the coat was warm and comfortable and perfectly worn in.

He turned to the nearest rack and pulled off a dark brown, wool jacket.  He held it out to me.  “Please, just try it on.  I'm begging you,” he said in a tone of voice that was more ordering than begging.

Grumbling, I took off my coat and pulled on the brown one.  The vampire spotted a passing employee and pushed the coat on him.  “Here, burn that.”

With an outraged cry I snatched my coat back, retrieving my MP3 player and a few random pieces of paper from the pockets.  The vampire handed my coat back to the employee.  “Okay, we're done here.”

Once we were finished in the store, we stood outside for a second while I put my MP3 player into my new coat's pocket.  I looked over the bits of paper and tossed them in a trash can.  “It's still early,” the vampire was saying.  “Let's drop the bags off in the car and walk around a bit." I frowned at him, but decided to go along.  We went back to the car and I got another parking receipt from the machine for the windshield.

I longed to get home as soon as possible, but I knew by now that I had to bear with the vampire until he got bored, or until the sun rose.  “What do you want to do now?” I asked wearily.

“I want to see more people.  It would be dangerous to reveal myself to my own kind until I have learned more of what has happened to them from Lucien.”  He pondered for a moment.  “Humans are good enough for now,” he decided.  “Do you know a place where I can observe them?  I'm going to need to know a lot more about fitting in before I can venture out on my own.”

“There's a coffee shop down that way.” I jerked my thumb behind me.  He walked past me, heading in that direction.  My eyes widened and I ran after him.  Why had I mentioned the cafe?  Too many people I knew hung out there.  It's like he had pulled an answer right out of me!

I ran in front and stopped him, holding my hands up.  “I can't let you go in there.  I know people in there.”

“Oh come on!” he said angrily.  “You act like I'm going to go on some bloody rampage!  Do you see how many humans are out now?”  He gestured around him at the crowded street.  “Attacking someone in a crowd this size would be suicide, even for me.”

Again I noticed that no one was taking any notice of him.  Even in New York City people weren't oblivious enough not to avoid a ranting man in the middle of the sidewalk.  They would at least stay about a foot away from him while they pretended not to notice him. I wondered if the vampire could use his mind voodoo on a crowd, like a blanket effect.  That was an interesting topic to ponder, but not right now.

I shook my head.  “That's not it. I can't go in there with you looking like that.”

His expression turned to one of surprise.  He looked down at his blazer.  “What's wrong with what I'm wearing?”

“Nothing, it's not that.”  I steeled myself, preparing for what I was about to do.  “Hold still a second.” was all the warning I gave him before I reached up with both hands and ruffled his hair.  It fell over his forehead messily, feather-like locks just barely covering his eyebrows.  The effect complimented his red brown eyes, making them look less severe.

His expression was outraged.  I pulled my hands away quickly, hoping to keep them.  He didn't retaliate. Instead he tried to fix his hair.  I held up my hands to stop him, though I refrained from touching him again.  “Trust me, it looks much better this way.”

He glowered down at me.  “Never touch me again,” he warned in a low voice.

“Agreed,” I replied stiffly.  I had been tempted to destroy that awful hairstyle since before we left the house.  I was proud of myself for holding back as long as I did.

“We can enter the bar now?” he asked tightly.

“It's a cafe, not a bar, and yes.”  We continued on down the block and crossed to the next one.  I hurried inside, holding the door open behind me.

  
  


********

  
  


_I studied the cafe's interior, carefully committing the layout to memory.  The furniture was old and of a myriad styles.  There were a few dilapidated couches and sofa chairs.  The tables were just a few coffee tables and tiny tables that held large lamps.  The lighting was dim and the atmosphere was somewhat cozy._

_The humans here were of various types.  One or two business types staring at their portable phones intently, quite a few more casual types lounging around, most of whom looked stoned, and some types that were heavily made up and wore a lot of black._

_Fashion had certainly changed a good bit since the 60's.  Then again, I had seen great changes over the centuries, so I wasn't shocked._

_I was surprised by one thing, however.  A couple in the corner, a young man and woman.  They were dressed in black, bright chains hanging from their pants.  The woman wore a velvet choker around her neck, a metal cross dangling from it. A few from the casual group were talking with them, staring at them raptly.  Then the woman smiled and I saw the glint of fangs._

_I bent down to the girl.  She jumped in fright, which I will admit pleased me.  She deserved it after touching my hair.  “People you know ‘hang out’ here?  I didn't know you knew other vampires,” I said softly in her ear._

_She looked around quickly.  “Who's a vampire?”_

_I pointed to the couple in the corner.  “Those two.”_

_She looked down my line of sight, then started to laugh.  “Those two aren't vampires,” she said, stifling her giggles with her hand.  “They're_ goths _.”_

“ _They're vampires,” I said with absolute certainty._

_She stubbornly shook her head.  “They just pretend.  They wear fake fangs, for God's sake! I've seen them take them out.”_

_I shook my head. I could tell by their presence, or aura, what they were.  The fangs were irrelevant.  “They probably had their real fangs removed the same way Lucien did.”_

_She started laughing again.  “Then why wear fake ones?”_

_My eyes widened as I saw the brilliance of it.  “So no one believes that they really are vampires.” I quickly amended my statement.  “No human.  That lot there is so high they probably like being around a 'vampire'.”  I waved my hand toward the small group with the vampires.  “They take pleasure in it, and I'll bet you anything that they even trade their very own blood for the fantasy.”_

“ _You’re guessing a lot from one quick glance...” she started, but I could almost hear the gears grinding in her skull.  She was thinking hard, recalling everything she knew about the pair.  Then she looked back at me, her eyes slowly widening.  “Holy crap,” she whispered.  “That's insane.”_

“ _It's genius, that's what it is.  It must have taken decades to perfect that plan.”_

_She shivered.  “What do we do now?  Should we leave?  Will they recognize you?”_

_I studied the pair closely.  “No, let's go talk to them.”  I could feel her body tense up even without touching her.  I pulled on the thread in her mind gently.  “They won't know me,  I've never seen them before.  They look young, probably born after my imprisonment.”_

_She was shaking her head in quick little jerks.  “No,” she whispered, fear creeping into her voice.  “This isn't right.  Vampires in here.  People I've seen before.”  She turned around and glared at me.  “Is this how it's going to be for me?”  She kept her voice to a low hiss.  “Finding out that you guys are everywhere?  Who will be next?  One of my friends?  Someone I thought I knew?  Every since I met you, they're coming out of the woodwork.”_

“ _Don't blame me.” I kept my voice as low as hers.  “It's not my fault you were so blind you never noticed before.  Humans have always been like that, never noticing how close we really were.  They just go about their day, blithely unaware.  People go missing all the time with no explanation, but they still never see it.  They never saw the ones who were devoured, the ones who were turned.”_

_She was shaking now, and I knew that my control over her had slipped. I had to do my best to repair the situation or I might never gain control of her again.  I needed that control until I had learned as much as I could from her._

“ _Come on, let's go,” I said quietly._

_She stopped shivering.  “What? Really?” she asked hopefully._

“ _Unless you've changed your mind.”  She shook her head quickly.  I turned toward the door.  “Come on.  Let's go home.”_

_It had been a fruitful trip.  I had learned more than I thought I would and was satisfied in going home.  There was always another night to learn more._


	8. Grave News

We managed to reach the house without any further incident, which surprised me.  Once I got over the shock of finding vampires in my old stomping grounds, I realized that the vampire had kept his word.

The temperature had dropped significantly since we left.  I fumbled for my keys, my fingers stiff with cold.  “Well, our little trip is done,” I said, pushing the door open.  He slid past me into the vestibule.  “Are you satisfied with your apparel now?”  A snicker pushed through my lips.

He turned and gave me a critical look.  "The clothes make the man.  Naked people have little or no influence on society."

I stood there and blinked at him.  He was quoting someone, I could tell by the way he spoke, but it was beyond me.  I pulled the keys out of the lock.

“Mark Twain?” he offered, in a tone that made me feel about as intelligent as algae.

My eyes narrowed.  Then I realized something.  I stood next to the wide open doorway for a few more seconds.  He stood in the vestibule, unmoving, his expression turned questioning.  “Have you given up on escaping?” I asked as I closed the door tightly.

“Of course not.” he scoffed.  “I still have every intention of leaving here and wreaking some minor havoc and property damage.”

“Yet you didn't leave when you had the chance.”

“I told you I wouldn't escape.”

An idea was forming in my head.  It seemed silly, but a lot of strange things had happened to me lately, so why not indulge in off-the-wall theories while I was at it?

“You're right.”  I took off my new jacket and hung it up in the coat closet.  “You were telling the truth.”

He looked relieved.  “So you finally find me trustworthy?” he asked as he set his bags down in the kitchen and began pulling clothes out and removing the tags.

“Oh hell no.” I replied, walking into the kitchen and setting the kettle on the stove.  I turned on the flame underneath, heating the water for some hot chocolate.  “I do think that you have to tell the truth, though.”  I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, gauging his reaction.

Surprise flickered across his face for a brief second.  Then his expression became closed.  “What do you mean?” he asked, focusing on his task.

It was better to go all in.  I took a deep breath.  “What I mean is that the only reason you didn't run off is because you told me you wouldn't.  You can't lie.”

“That's a silly idea.”  He'd phrased that much too carefully.

“Am I wrong?”

He put down the shirt he was holding a little too forcefully and looked directly at me.  I turned and faced him fully.  We stared each other down for a long moment.  I waited.  I was no vampire, but I could be patient.

He broke the silence first.  “What in the world would possibly make you think of such a ridiculous notion?” he asked angrily.

I pointed at him.  “Ha! You can't say 'no', can you?”

He gathered himself together emotionally and turned away, heading for the stairs.  “This is tiring.  I'm going to bed.”

I followed him, feeling energized by my triumph.  “You really can't do it!  You can't lie!”

“Good night,” he said firmly, and vanished.

I blinked at the stairs, hearing a door slam a few seconds later.  He could move quickly when he wanted to.

But!  I had won over the vampire.  Finally!  I grinned and hurried back into the kitchen.

The front of the refrigerator had been painted with black chalkboard paint.  It was useful for writing a recipe on, or making grocery lists, or just leaving memos.  So far, I hadn't had anything to write on it. Until now, that is.

I retrieved a box of white chalk from the drawer next to the fridge.  I pulled out one long, fresh piece and wrote on the fridge:

Angie: 1

Vampire: 0

Smiling smugly, I put the chalk away.  The water on the stove was boiling now.  I fixed myself a steaming mug of hot chocolate and brought it up to my room.

  
  


********

  
  


A deep, echoing chime roused me from my sleep hours later.  My eyes scrunched tightly closed and I rolled over onto my stomach.  I was pulling the pillow over my head when I realized that the chime was the doorbell. I sat up, my eyes reluctant to fully open.  I found my slippers by feel and made my way downstairs.

When I opened the front door, Ricky's cheerful face greeted me.  “Angie, I hope I didn't wake you.” He smiled radiantly.

I rubbed my knuckles into my left eye.  “No, 'course not,” I mumbled, stepping aside to let him in.  I yawned loudly.  “Whassup?” I asked sleepily.

Ricky was dressed for work.  He wore a dark red T-shirt that was covered with black smudges, worn carpenter's jeans, and rugged boots.  He was also carrying his toolbox.  “Dad told me that the closet door in the kitchen needed rehanging.”  He walked over to the remains of the broom closet while I stood in the kitchen, waiting for my brain to boot up.  Ricky's back stiffened in surprise.  “Where's the door?”  He knelt down and picked up a long sliver of wood.  It was one of the larger remains of the closet door.  I must have missed it when I cleaned up the other day.  He looked at me over his shoulder.  “Angie, what happened?”

It was then that my brain woke up with a jolt.  I jumped guiltily.  “Uh...” was all that came out of my mouth.

Ricky gave me a sympathetic look.  He stood up and walked over to me.  “Are you all right, all alone out here?” he asked seriously.

“More or less,” I replied weakly.  My eyes strayed over to the living room. The large wall/window was still covered.  I stepped away from Ricky and hurried into the living room. I began undoing the tape around the garbage bags that were covering the window.

Ricky followed me, a puzzled look on his face.  “Don’t tell me the window’s broken too?”

I shook my head quickly.  “Oh no, it's fine.”  I was thinking quickly, my hands shook slightly as I hurried to removed the tape.  I didn't relax until a ray of sunlight hit my face.  I gripped the tape and pulled the rest of it off.  I turned back to Ricky, my smile more sure.  “I was just trying to watch a movie.”  I pointed at the huge TV on the wall.  “The glare from the window is a big nuisance.”

He nodded as if that made perfect sense.  Bless his heart.  “I'll pick you up a thick curtain when I go to get a new door.  It'll be better than those blinds.”  He pointed to the corner of the room where the vertical blinds had been dumped messily.  My hands gripped into fists.  I was going to stake that vampire.

“You don't have to bother yourself with the curtain,” I told him sincerely.  Why should I make things easier for the vampire?

“Don't worry about it.  It's no trouble.  Is there anything else that needs fixing?”

It looked like he wasn't going to be dissuaded.  My answering smile was so forced it hurt my cheeks.  I shook my head.  “Nope, that's everything,” I assured him brightly, thinking of the attic stairs.

He looked doubtful, but he didn't call me out on my lie.  The stairs would have to be fixed eventually, but I couldn't have Ricky on the second floor where there was no protective sunlight.

He looked around as if making sure nothing else was destroyed.  “If I go now, I can get the door and curtain and be back here by tonight.”

Tonight?  I glanced at the clock on the wall.  It was almost noon.  The sun would set just before five.  I shook my head quickly.  “Oh no, that's okay.  Take your time.  You can fix everything in the morning.”

“Are you sure?  I don't mind.”

“Trust me, it's fine.”  I scrambled around in my brain, looking for a plausible lie.  “I'm going to be busy tonight anyway.”  That was a good lie, and knowing the vampire, it would turn out to be the truth.

I put both hands on his back and steered him through the kitchen and into the vestibule.  “I'm a complete mess right now.  I need to shower and change.  I'll call you later and we can hang out tomorrow.  Steven and Cass, too.  We can go see a movie after you put up the door.”  When we reached the door I opened it for him.

He gave me a small smile.  “All right. I can take a hint.”  He put one big hand on my head.  “Take care of yourself, Angie.”

When he was gone, I closed the door and leaned my back against it.  I covered my face with both hands, and started shivering all over.  Thank God nothing had happened while he was here.  Thank God he wasn't hurt.

I couldn't let Ricky come back, but I didn't know what I could say to make sure he stayed away.  It wasn't safe here for anyone.

Least of all for me.

“What is your name?”

I jumped, looking around wildly.  His voice had come from the living room.  I walked into the kitchen, looking over the dividing counter for him. Sunlight was still pouring in through the large window.  I could just make out his figure sitting at the top of the stairs, where the sunlight could not reach.

I placed both hands on the kitchen table and sat down slowly.  Right then, I felt about a million years old.  It had taken a couple of days, but the knowledge that I now shared a home with a vampire had finally sunk in.  There was no way I was going to have a normal life if I couldn't have my friends over without worrying for their lives.

“I asked you for your name,” he reminded me.  His voice was neutral, I couldn't read any intentions or emotions in it.  There was probably some scheme of his at work here, but I couldn't figure out what it was.

“Angie.” I answered dully, rubbing my face with my palms.

“That is not your name.”

“Yes it is.  Everybody calls me Angie.”  I looked over at him.  He hadn't moved.

“Exactly.  That's the name you give to everyone, not your true name.  It's just a nickname, a moniker designed to put up with day-to-day wear.  Few people actually use the full name they were born with.  What is yours?”

His voice had an odd quality to it, I couldn't place what it was.  A weird buzzing started inside of my head and I couldn't concentrate.  “Evangeline.”

The buzzing cleared instantly.  I glared at the top of the stairs.  It had been his doing of course.  Though why he would use his mind powers to get me to answer I had no idea.  He had lifted my wallet right off of me just last night, so he should already know my name.  “What was the point in forcing me to answer?”  My voice was harsh.

“I didn't force you to answer.  I just distracted you.  You answered automatically because subconsciously you felt no danger in doing so.”

“Is there a danger in you knowing my name?” I asked sharply.

His voice was so low, I almost didn't hear him.  “Oh yes.”

“How so?”  Anger and annoyance coursed through my veins, heating my blood and banishing that shivery, weak feeling I had felt at the door.

“Didn’t you learn any lore out of the mountain you picked up at the library?” he asked mockingly.  “Or was it all just harmless fluff?  Everyone knows that giving out your true name to someone gives them power over you.”

“Bull.  That stuff's from fantasy novels.  Fiction.”

“Shall we test it out?”  His tone turned playful.  The shadows obscured his face, so I couldn't make out his expression.  “Come here.”

I shook my head.  “No way,” I told him firmly.  I wasn't going to let his freaky mind voodoo draw me out of the sunlight.

“Evangeline, come here.”

His tone hadn't changed.  It was still playfully casual.  I sat up and stepped away from the table.  This wasn't like when he was controlling me.  There was no presence in my mind for me to struggle against or repel.  Suddenly, I just didn't see any reason not to go over to him.

My mind wandered while I walked out of the kitchen and to the stairs.  I paused when my foot touched the bottom step.  I looked up at him, waiting in the darkness.  He leaned his elbows on his knees and threaded the fingers of both hands together.

“What's your name?” I asked idly.

There was a small pause, he leaned his chin on his hands.  “Why do you want to know?”

I shrugged.  “Why not?  I told you mine.”

He stood up, placing his hands in his pants pockets.  Then he started to laugh.

His laugh broke the spell over me.  I blinked in confusion as the fear, anger, and annoyance flooded back into my body.  He walked back to his room, laughing the whole time.

  
  


********

  
  


_This girl kept surprising me.  She was so infernally stubborn that even using her true name couldn't circumvent her single-mindedness._

_I briefly considered that she might have some small grain of the quality of strength Katrina had once possessed, but then dismissed the idea.  No, it was definitely the girl's pigheadedness._

_I looked around my dark bedroom.  What to do, what to do...  The hours stretched out long ahead of me.  I couldn't go downstairs, because that wretched girl had uncovered the window.  The laptop had been amusing, but now it didn't work.  The television was utter garbage this time of day.  I would rather claw my own eyes out than sit through a sitcom._

_My feet carried me around the room briskly.  I was pacing.  I knew what I wanted.  I wanted blood.  Human blood._

_I wanted that girl's blood._

_The thought had entered my mind sometime last night that drinking that girl's blood would be the closest I ever got to drinking Katrina's.  The fact that I would never have the opportunity to drain Katrina dry made my chest ache.  I had wanted her so much.  The strongest human I had ever seen._

_My throat burned.  My hands twitched, their claws wanting to tear into something.  My breathing was quicker, more ragged._

_I was hungry._

_I heard a small knock at my door._

_I was across the room in an instant, but when I opened the door they only thing that greeted me was a small cardboard box, sitting on the floor._

_The door at the end of the hall closed._

_I smiled.  She wasn't slow on her feet, I could grant her that._

_I bent down and picked up the box.  Hiding behind it was a white plastic bottle.  I wrinkled my nose.  It was more of that disgusting pig's blood.  I picked it up anyway.  It was better than starving, if only barely._

_After I had drained the bottle, I turned my attention back to the box.  It had already been cut open, the shipping label had Evangeline's name on it.  I sat on the bed and opened the flaps.  Inside I found a note which read:_

Here are a few things for your new guest. - David.

_I crumpled the note and tossed it in the bin across the room without looking where it landed._

_Inside of the box I found a portable telephone-- wait. No, they were called cellular phones.  Though I honestly couldn't see what they had to do with cells, I picked it up and turned it over.  The battery had been removed.  I found it in the box, along with the back, and put it back together._

_It rang a few seconds later, as I had expected it to._

“ _Lucien,” I answered smoothly._

“ _Glad to see you got my gift,” Lucien kept his voice just as smooth._

“ _I thank you for it, though I don't really see how much use it will be.”_

“ _You'll find uses.  This is a far different world than the one you remember.  It's much more connected.  If you drop out of the network, you might as well drop off the face of the Earth.”_

“ _It's really not that much different,” I said.  “This new world.”  I stretched out on the bed._

“ _How would you know?” Lucien's voice was guarded._

“ _Evangeline took me out yesterday.”  My lips pulled back over my teeth._

“ _You shouldn't be showing yourself outside,” Lucien warned._

_My grin widened.  “Lucien, I am the strongest vampire that's ever lived.  Katrina's dead.  There is no one on this planet left that can stand up to me.”_

“ _Fifty years is a long time.”_

“ _And it would take a hundred more for anyone to catch up to my level,” I said easily._

“ _You're not listening.  This is why you have to be kept inside.  You never listen! Remember Russia?  You would have been staked and beheaded if I hadn't-”_

_I sprang up in my bed, my ire rising.  “I was in no danger!”  My voice rose as well.  “I had everything under control, until_ _**you** _ _got in the way!”_

“ _You have to stay inside!  It's for your own good!” Lucien shouted._

_I flopped back on the bed, irritated.  “Why do you even care?  You helped Katrina lock me up, remember?  You betrayed me.”_

“ _Is that really what you think?” Lucien's voice lowered, but I could tell he was seething. “I did it to look after you, even if you don't want me to.  You're the only family I have left.”_

_A cold feeling settled into the pit of my stomach.  “Where's your brother?” I asked.  There was no response.  “Lucien, where's Lucifer?”  My voice rose again._

_After a long moment, Lucien answered._

“ _Don’t you remember?  He's dead.  Nora killed him.”_

_Every muscle in my body tensed.  I had to be careful not to grip the phone too hard and shatter it.  I needed the phone right now. I had to know.  “Nora?”  My voice sounded weak, and I loathed it.  “Did she...?”  I couldn't finish the question, I felt sick._

_Lucien knew what I was asking.  “She drank from him until there was nothing left.”  His voice was solemn with a deep sadness underneath._

_The cold feeling in my stomach spread out to the rest of me.  Various emotions crashed together inside of me.  Rage and remorse... and fear.  Fear had finally found purchase inside of my heart.  Lucifer had been a hundred years older than Lucien, and twice as strong.  If Nora drank his blood, her own strength would have trebled.  I drew in a sharp breath._

“ _Father?” Lucien sounded as worried as he was capable of sounding.  “Are you there?”_

“ _Yes,” I answered, my voice hoarse, but deceptively calm.  “Where is Nora now?”_

“ _You can't go after her.  She'll kill you.  Then she'll drain you. That's what she wants.”_

“ _I'll kill her first,” I said with cold certainty.  I knew I would, without pause or indecision.  I would rip her heart out of her chest and get Lucifer's blood back.  I would drain every last drop out of her and burn whatever was left._

“ _Look, I have to be in court in five minutes.  I will come over and talk to you later,” Lucien said sadly.  “Please don't get into trouble before then.”_

“ _Fine,” I agreed, and hung up the phone.  I would wait.  Then I would extract every bit of information Lucien had._

  
  


********

  
  


I raced down the stairs as the doorbell chimed for the third time, muttering to myself.  “I told him to wait until morning...”

When I opened the door, it was Steven who was standing on the porch.  He held his laptop bag in both hands, and was wearing his usual jeans and t-shirt.  I stepped back in surprise.  “Steven, what's up?”

He stepped into the vestibule quickly, as if I might shut the door on him.  Which I would have done if he hadn't been so swift.  It was after dark now and I was Steven's only protection against fanged death.

“Ricky said you might want some company tonight.” Steven smiled tightly.  He didn't smile much, his face didn't seem suited for it.  His usual expressions consisted of neutral and faint disapproval.  He was still a good guy, though.  Ricky had been worried by my strange behavior and had sent him by.

“Steven, I'm fine. Honest.”  I tried to smile warmly at him.  It felt weak to me, but that was because my stomach was twisting itself into knots.  I stepped back, letting him push past into the kitchen.  If I didn't, he would probably just nudge me aside.

He set his bag on the table.  “I'm sure you are,” he said as I closed the door.  The automatic lock clicked ominously.  “But Rick just wants me to make sure.  I'm going to check the alarm system real quick then I'll go.  Okay?”

“Fine,” I sighed.  “but please hurry.  I really am busy tonight-”

He raised his hand, cutting me off.  “No worries, this won't take a second.”  He pulled his laptop out of his bag and popped it open.

I leaned one hip against the counter and watched the stairs out of the corner of my eye.  Sure enough, the vampire appeared at the top of them.  “Has Lucien arrived?” he asked as he hurried down.

He slowed to a more human pace when he spotted Steven.  Steven looked up in surprise.  His glasses slid down his nose as he took in the vampire's appearance.  The vampire was wearing black slacks and a white dress shirt, neatly buttoned.

Steven pushed his glasses back into place, then turned to me.  “'Busy'. I see.”  He went back to his laptop.

I held up both hands.  “Whoa, hold on there.  You've totally got the wrong idea.”

“No, it's okay.” Steven assured me as he typed.  “You don't have to explain anything to me.  I completely understand.”

I glanced over at the vampire, gauging his reaction.  He seemed disturbingly amused.  I covered my eyes with one hand.  “Oh, now I feel sick.”

“Ohhh, are you unwell?” The vampire crooned at me.  He stepped up to me, taking my hand away from my face.  His dark eyes were laughing.  I gave him an ugly look. His lips pulled back over his fangs.  Some people might have confused that with a smile, but I knew he was baring his teeth at me.  He snaked one arm around my waist, his hand settling on my hip.

Then he hissed in pain and yanked his hand away from me.  It had been burned by the silver chain sticking out of my pocket.  The silver gun it was attached to was of course holstered in the back of my jeans.  I smiled sweetly at him, fluttering my eyelashes.  His eyes narrowed into a dark glare as he nursed his injured hand.

He turned his attention back to Steven.  He placed his burned hand in his pocket and looked over Steven's shoulder.  “How well do you know these contraptions?” he asked curiously.

Steven snorted.  “I could put a laptop together in my sleep.”

“Excellent.”  The vampire's expression brightened.  “I have one upstairs that has stopped functioning.”

“I guess I can take a look...” Steven offered reluctantly.

“I'll retrieve it now.”  The vampire walked swiftly out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

I walked over to the table and placed both palms on it.  “Look Steven, he's not-”

He looked over at me seriously.  “It really is okay, Angie.”

“No really, I can't stand him,” I blurted out.  “He, uh, knew Great Aunt Katrina a few years ago.  He's stopped by to pay his respects and I can't get rid of him.”  I gave him a pleading look.

“Can't you throw him out?” he asked in concern.

I shook my head.  “The lawyer won't let me.”

Steven opened his mouth to answer, but the vampire came back just then.  He placed the laptop on the table next to the other one.  Steven's eyebrows raised, he had noticed how quick the vampire was.  “Let me know if you can repair it,” the vampire said brightly.  “Evangeline will take care of any expenses.”  He flashed his teeth at me again.  I gave him an annoyed look back.  Then he headed back up the stairs.  “Oh, and let me know as soon as Lucien arrives,” he told me before vanishing.

Steven sighed and opened the laptop.  “You know, I think I'll agree with you.  There's something about that guy I don't like.”

“Thank you,” I said in relief.  “I'm glad someone agrees with me.  Please see if you can fix the laptop, though.  I need something to keep him occupied. He's driving me crazy.”

“Will do,” he said, giving me another weak smile.  This one felt more genuine, and I smiled back.


	9. A Far Away Memory

 

_ Today was my wedding day.  The most nerve-wracking, tense experience a young woman would ever have.  It was also supposed to be the happiest, save for when she bore her children. _

_ I wasn't nervous or tense at all. I had seen too much in my short time on this earth for something as sedate as my own wedding to unravel me.  This would be a walk in the park compared to every other day before this one. _

_ As for happiness... I would just have to see to that down the road.  Charles was a good man; predictable and hard working.  My heart did not burn for him, but I liked him.  That was more than I deserved, since the only thing I burned for was the one sure thing that would destroy me. _

_ The scene at the church was serene, otherworldly so.  The walls were pale gray stone with large, high windows.  Sunlight poured in, making the interior glow.  Large bundles of white roses decorated the black pews.  Large white banners hung from the rafters. _

_ Charles' family's side of the church was packed, every pew was full.  Mothers, fathers, sisters, cousins, brothers.  All were talking amongst themselves, creating a merry buzz that echoed off the church walls.  Amidst the laughter and excitement was a tone of apprehension, as well as disapproval.  Charles' mother was especially worried.  What was her baby boy getting into, marrying a woman like me? _

_ My family's side was empty.  I had family, quite a large one thanks to my sister, but I had told no one of my impending marriage.  I had cut ties with Alice years ago.  It was safer for her family that way. _

_ Yet I was prepared to drag Charles into the mess that was my life?  No, I wanted him to drag me out of the chaos into warm, stable mediocrity.  What I wouldn't give to wake up at the same time every morning with the greatest challenge ahead of me being a house that needed dusting.  I would learn how to cook, how to care for another, and be cared for in return.  This was the only chance I might have to get that kind of life. I had to seize it, no matter the cost. _

_ My dress was beautiful, pure white and flowing all around me.  The train was long, dragging on the floor several feet behind me.  Tiny white rosebuds were pinned to the skirt, which belled out around my legs.  I held a bouquet of large white blooms in my hands, gripping them just a bit too tightly. _

_ I stood just inside the entrance, waiting for my cue. I had no bridesmaids to carry me on my way.  I would walk down the long aisle alone. _

_ The music started and I prepared myself both mentally and physically.  When it was my time I stepped out into the main hall.  Charles waited for me at the end of the aisle.  He smiled that gentle smile I liked so much.  I gave him the best smile I was capable of. _

_ There were gasps all through the gathered guests.  They whispered to themselves, amazed by how beautiful, how audacious, I looked.  I was not wearing a veil, and my long red hair was loose, trailing down my back, glowing like fire against the white of my dress.  I held myself straight and tall as I made my way slowly down the aisle. _

_ When I was halfway down the aisle, the tall windows began to darken.  I paused, turning my head, breaking my gaze from Charles’.  Dark clouds were gathering swiftly overhead, rumbling with thunder. _

_ There were new gasps and whispers, worried this time.  A bad omen. _

_ I turned back to Charles, setting my jaw firmly, holding my head high.  I couldn’t meet his eyes though.  I continued my long march. _

_ Lightning flashed, rather close.  It illuminated the inside of the church to a ghastly starkness, followed immediately by a loud crack of thunder. _

_ Lightning and thunder, but no rain.  Perhaps this  _ _** was  ** _ _ a bad omen.  I banished the negative thoughts from my mind.  I was almost there.  I was almost free. _

_ I was less than ten feet away from my soon-to-be husband when he arrived. _

_ He came down from the rafters, landing lightly on the floor between me and Charles, facing me, grinning wildly.  Lightning flashed again, highlighting his dark eyes and sharp fangs.  “Katrina, I'm hurt,” his voice a hideous caress.  “You forgot to invite me.” _

_ I stood where I was.  Any movement would endanger the people here.  My gold eyes narrowed. _

_ He continued to speak, ignoring everyone else in the church, his eyes on me alone.  “I was going to wait until the 'if anyone has any reason why these two should not be wed' part to interrupt, but then I thought that would be rather cliche.” _

“ _ How brave of you, coming in the daytime,” I said, my voice low and tight.  I glanced to the side at the guests.  No one moved. No one spoke. They were confused and afraid, like so many mindless sheep when under a vampire's influence.  Charles was the closest to him, his face lined with tension.  That he did not immediately cower from the threat was attributed to his steadfast nature.  Bless him.  The priest stood behind him, mouthing silent words to himself and clutching his cross. _

_ The demon's eyes danced in triumph.  “You really should have expected me, Katrina. I would never miss such an opportunity as this.  Not even sunlight could keep me away.” _

“ _ It’s been two years since Russia.  I gave up on you.  I thought you’d done the same.” _

_ His smile faded, and his eyes turned steely.  “Never.” _

_ Thunder rumbled again, echoing through the church, making the guests flinch.  “The storm. It's your doing, isn't it?” _

_ He thrust his hands in his pockets.  It was a habit of his when he was particularly full of himself.  “Oh, I can't take credit for that,” he said, smiling again. “Nora has become quite adept at manipulating the clouds, hasn't she?  It's really very useful.” _

_ I arched one red brow.  “Nora is here as well?  Two demon spawn, I feel honored.” _

_ The vampire chuckled softly.  “Jealous?” _

“ _Not in a thousand lifetimes.”_

_ My insult didn't even faze him.  It would take a lot to bruise an ego that size.  He continued to bare his fangs at me.  “You knew it would happen eventually, didn't you?  One day I would surprise you, finally catch you off guard.”  His voice lowered to a whispery hiss. “Helpless.” _

“ _ One thing you never seem to learn, vampire,” I spat.  “I am never helpless.”  I flung my bouquet aside and hurled its silver clasp at him. _

_ He dodged it of course, but I had time to retrieve my revolver from the voluminous folds of my dress.  He jumped high in the air once he saw it, perching back on the rafters. _

_ I fired up at him.  One, two, three shots in quick succession.  The first one hit the rafter he stood on, but the other two made their mark: one in the leg, the other in the arm.  He hissed in pain, but his mobility was undiminished.  He jumped from rafter to rafter lightly. _

_ I gritted my teeth.  “No matter how many bullets I put in you, you just never die.” _

“ _ Not without you, my dear.”  The vampire smiled down at me sweetly, then ducked down as a fourth bullet whipped through the space his head had been occupying. He clicked his tongue.  “You're a lousy shot when you're rattled.” _

“ _ You could gouge out both my eyes and I could still hit you,” I said through gritted teeth.  My remaining shots missed except for the very last one, which got him in the chest.  He made a sound somewhere between a hiss and a gurgle and lost his balance.  He plummeted down into the empty pews in the back row, shattering the wood into splinters.  A cloud of dust rose into the air. _

“ _ You're so slow, you might as well be standing still.” I walked up the aisle, emptying my revolver.  The empty casings rang like tiny bells on the stone floor.  I knelt down next an empty pew in the third row, retrieving a bag I had stashed there.  Even after two years I hadn’t been willing to leave my gear behind.  I guess paranoia paid off in the end. _

_ I walked up the aisle toward the fallen vampire, loading my gun as I walked.  His spell over the crowd dispersed.  Charles' family was stirring.  There were frightened gasps and small screams.  “Call the police!” Charles' mother ordered one of her other sons.  He got to his feet and ran for the door. _

“ _ Don't move!” I ordered, keeping my eyes on the fallen vampire.  “His friend is still around here somewhere.  Hiding.  She could kill a single man in an instant, but she's not strong enough to take you all on.  If you want to live, stay in a group.” _

_ Charles' brother, Peter I think his name was, turned and looked at me fearfully.  “You’re the one with the gun.”  He quickly returned to his mother's side.  She clasped his hand and pulled him down into the pew next to her. _

_ I stood over the vampire, aiming my gun at his head.  He didn't move, just stared up at the ceiling, his eyes wide and his mouth opening and closing wordlessly.  I realized then that I hadn't hit him in the chest at all, but the throat.  The wound sizzled, raw and angry.  The bullet must have penetrated all the way to his spine.  He was paralyzed.  After all this time I had gotten a lucky shot. _

“ _ Finally. Time to finish this.” I knelt down, pressing the barrel of my revolver to his forehead.  I wasn't trusting this shot to anything other than point blank range.  The silver burned his forehead and he flinched, but could not turn away. _

_ I paused for the barest second, savoring the moment.  Most of my life I had been hunting this monster.  He had ruined so many things for me, killed my friends, my family.  Their screams were what I went to sleep with every night.  Now I finally had a chance for peace, for normalcy. _

“ _ Goodbye, Gabriel,” I whispered.  My voice sounded almost loving. I reflected upon that as I pulled the trigger. How very odd... _

_ I didn't notice as she came up on my left, leaping over the crowd.  She hissed angrily as she tackled me.  The shot rang out, but it missed the vampire by a hair. _

_ My gun was knocked from my hands, lost in the wooden rubble.  Nora was on top of me, trying her damnedest to claw out my eyes.  Her fangs were exposed as she shrieked incoherently. _

_ She wasn't as strong as her brethren.  Not physically, at least.  She was an exceptional weather manipulator, but no fighter.  I, on the other hand, had been training to fight vampires for years.  I grabbed her wrists and held her at bay. _

_ I braced one cream-colored heel in her stomach and pushed her off of me.  She recovered quickly and sprang again.  Her speed more than making up for her lack of brute strength. _

_ If she had used her lightning she could have made short work of me, but Nora could never think rationally whenever she faced me.  Every time we squared off, an inexplicable hatred would come over her and she would lose her senses completely.  If she couldn’t keep control of herself, her short fuse would be the death of her. _

_ I had retrieved my gun from the rubble.  I waited as she tackled me again, then I buried the barrel of my revolver in the middle of her chest and pulled the trigger. _

_ Her scream was like a wounded wildcat, the sound reverberating harshly in my ears.  She threw herself away from me, smoke rising from her chest. _

_ A huge crack of thunder sounded overhead, followed by an explosion in the rafters.  It came again on the other side of the church.  The wedding guests screamed in fresh terror as pieces of the rafters began raining down, some burning. _

_ The vampire bitch had struck the church with lightning.  Twice.  I gritted my teeth, watching as she hurried over to my fallen nemesis.  I turned away from the pair to the crowd.  “Get out, now!”  I ordered, waving my free hand towards the doors. _

_ They didn’t need me to tell them twice.  They headed for the doors in a herd, eager to be out of the fire.  I ran over to the group, trying my damnedest to make sure they didn't trample one another to death. _

_ More flaming debris rained down, crashing into the pews, setting the tapestries and carpeting ablaze.  Everyone got out unharmed, I made sure of that. _

_ Once every last one of them was safely outside, I turned back to the church.  It was really blazing now.  The heat from the fire causing several stained glass windows to explode.  I climbed up the stairs, but was stopped by a hand on my arm. _

_ I turned to look at Charles, his face showing fear and disbelief.  He was sweating from heat and trembling all over, but he held my arm tightly.  “You don't have to go back in there,” he said.  “Those... whatever they are, surely they're dead.” _

“ _ He’s survived worse than this,” I answered firmly.   _

_ Charles' expression was pleading.  “Are you saying it’ll never be safe?”   _

_ I pulled my arm out of his grasp, more roughly than I intended.  I turned away from him, heading up the steps.  I could feel his eyes on me, watching helplessly as I walked back into that inferno.  “Not as long as he exists.” _

  
  


********

  
  


The doorbell rang just then.

My eyes shot open.  I reached around blindly for a bit, trying to get my bearings.  My fingers touching Great Aunt Katrina’s journal.

I had been reading about Katrina’s wedding, the one the vampires had crashed.  When had I fallen asleep?

I sat up, shaking cobwebs from my head.  That dream... it had been so vivid...

The doorbell rang again, twice.  Whoever was calling was getting impatient.

I decided not to keep them waiting any longer.  I stepped into my slippers and headed downstairs.  There was no sign of the vampire.  What did he do while I slept?  He didn’t have the laptop. Did he watch TV?

The visitor was David.  He came bearing gifts, handing me a small cardboard box as soon as I opened the door.  I hefted it with both hands, not prepared for it’s weight.  “What is this? A brick?”

“Open it after I leave,” he answered in a low voice.  “I don't want to be seen giving that to you.  You'll need it soon.”

I nodded, glancing at the stairs.  I opened the closet in the vestibule and put the box on the high shelf, pushing it to the back.

When I had closed the door and turned back around, David was looking at me sternly.  “Where is your silver glove?”

“In my room,” I answered.  “I don't bring it with me when I answer the door.  That would look really weird to the postman.”

“You should,” the lawyer told me.  “You never know who might be on the other side.”

I suppressed a shiver.  “You mean I am going to have to worry about vampires from outside, too?”

“If he continues to act so recklessly, then yes.”  He jerked his head in the direction of the stairs.

I thought of Nora, the weather manipulator who had no trouble burning churches to cinders, and shivered.  “I always carry the gun.”

The lawyer looked me over, then sighed sadly.  “I had hoped that there would be more time to prepare you before he escaped.  There's so much you need to know in order to do your job.”  He shook his head.  “How did he manage to get out of the tomb?”

I cringed inwardly.  “That was my fault,” I admitted.  “I unlocked the tomb.  I had no idea what was inside,” I said defensively.  “If I had, I would never have agreed to live here.”

David was confused.  “How did you unlock it?  There's no key.”

I shook my head.  “No, I had a key.”  I pulled out my keyring.  “You have to combine these three keys here.”

David snatched the keys out of my hand with such speed that I didn't see his hand move. One second I had my keys, the next he did.  He stared at the keys in disbelief.  “I searched this house top to bottom...” he whispered to himself.

“Great Aunt Katrina never told you about the keys,” I guessed.

“No, she trusted me with everything else, but not that.”  His expression darkened, and for a moment I felt fearful towards him.

“She probably thought you would release him,”  I said, and his attention turned back to me quickly, his eyes narrowing.  “Well, you're both vampires. Who knows what you guys are really thinking?”

David turned and walked into the kitchen, lost in thought.  I contemplated asking for my keys back, but decided against it.

The vampire was leaning on the other side of the counter.  Of course, I hadn't heard him arrive, nor seen any movement out of the corner of my eye.  “Lucien,” he greeted David calmly.  He gave him a small nod in return.

The lawyer turned to me.  “If you will excuse us.”

I walked over to the white couch and plopped down, laying back on the cushions.  “I'm staying right here with you two,” I told them firmly.  “Whatever things you have to discuss I want to be around for.  I still feel totally in the dark, and if I am supposed to do a job here, I want as much information as possible.”

David glanced over at the vampire.  The vampire gave me a stony glare.  “Little girls should be in bed at this hour. The grown ups are talking.”

“You need me.  Mr. Lucien said so.”

“You are the very last thing that I need.  You wouldn't even make a good midnight snack.”

I didn't even blink.  “I can see why Nora wants you six feet under.  What I can't understand is why she ever liked you in the first place.”

The vampire's eyes narrowed.  His voice lowered dangerously. “You don't know what you are talking about...”

“I've done some reading,” I replied matter-of-factly.  “Did you know that Great Aunt Katrina kept a diary?  I know all about how you crashed her wedding.  If it hadn't been for Nora saving your ass, Great Aunt Katrina would have probably nailed you to the church roof.”

“Stop talking.”  The vampire's eyes changed, glowing bright red.  His voice took on a deep, feral quality.  I straightened up in alarm.

David grabbed his shoulder, holding him back as the vampire made to step toward me.  The vampire bared his fangs and hissed low, not taking his eyes off of me. I pulled out the silver gun, pointing it at the vampire.  This angered him even more.  “I will tear your tongue right out of your mouth,” he growled.

“Calm down!” David ordered sternly.  “Before she puts a bullet in you.”

“That gun is empty,” the vampire snarled.  My eyes widened.  How long had he known that?

The vampire grabbed David's arm and threw him aside.  He landed on the coffee table.  All four legs snapped under the force of the throw.

The next second he was on top of me, pinning my body to the couch.  I did the only thing I could do and smacked him with the butt of the gun. His skin sizzled where the silver contacted his cheek.  He roared in pain and knocked the gun away with the back of his hand.

Everything was happening too fast for fear to grab hold.  Instinct kicked in and I fought, adrenaline pumping through my veins.  He was sitting on my legs, but I still kicked desperately.

He grabbed the hair at the back of my head with one hand, pulling my head back, exposing my neck. I dug my nails into his injured cheek, drawing blood.  My forearm was braced against his throat, trying vainly to hold him at bay.

Before he could sink his fangs into me, David grabbed him around the waist, then threw him into the window.  The tough glass held up. The vampire landed on the carpet.

“Everyone just calm down!” David shouted.  He was breathing heavily as he straightened his suit jacket.

Suddenly the lights overhead glowed red, turning the white carpet and furniture crimson.  “Oh, what now?” the vampire asked irritably as he regained his feet.

“That's the security alarm,” David answered.

I spotted something on the other side of the window behind him and jumped. I lifted my hand and pointed.  “What is it?” the vampire asked, turning to the glass.

Three figures stood out clearly on the other side of the glass.  I knew immediately that they were vampires.  Each one was smiling at the vampire in the house.  I could see their fangs.

Next to me, David swore.

 


	10. Heated Battle

_I glanced at Lucien briefly, not turning away from the window.  “You were followed?”  My voice was cold, accusatory._

_Lucien snorted.  “Of course not. I always cover my tracks well.”_

“ _Obviously not,” I said pointedly, shoving my hands into the pockets of my pants._

“ _Perhaps they followed you,” he suggested, his voice as cold as mine._

“ _You think someone in the city recognized him?” Evangeline asked fearfully._

“ _I would have noticed if someone had,” I snapped at her sharply._

“ _Angie.”  Lucien turned to the girl.  “That package I gave you earlier, go retrieve it.”  The girl didn't answer, her eyes undoubtedly fixed on the danger just outside.  “Open it and you'll know what to do.  Hurry.”  His voice was urgent.  She scrambled to her feet and ran into the kitchen._

_I kept my gaze on the trio outside.  They appeared to be bantering with each other, smiling broadly.  Were they Nora's followers, triumphant in finding their target?  Or just a random trio who had spotted Lucien and decided to follow?  Knowing my luck, they were from Nora._

_The one in the center stepped forward.  There was a swagger in his step that advertised he was the leader of the group.  He had platinum blond hair tied back at his neck, and a muscular build.  He wore black leather; boots, pants, gloves, and jacket.  His attire was an overstatement, an obnoxious one.  I wondered for what he was compensating._

_I watched him calmly, my hands in my pockets, as he walked right up to the glass.  He rapped on it with his knuckle, his lips moving.  A false smile played across them. His tap made no sound, nor did I hear what he said.  Soundproofing.  Katrina had put everything into the house that she could think of._

_I shook my head apologetically, putting one finger behind my ear.  Sorry, can't hear you._

_His fake smile fell away.  He took a step back, spreading out his hands on either side, palms up.  His meaning was obvious: Come out._

_I shrugged, shaking my head again, my hands back in their pockets.  I didn't feel like it._

_The two vampires that had stayed back laughed to themselves.  The vampire in front of me narrowed his eyes.  He pulled back his arm and punched the glass._

_He had obviously expected his hand to go right through the glass, and was astonished when his fist just bounced off.  I couldn't help but grin at him._

_That made him angrier.  He turned to the other two, ordering them around, pointing at the trees about a hundred yards away.  He then turned back to me, smiling smugly while the other two ran to the trees._

_Lucien spoke up then.  “What do you think they are planning?”_

_I shrugged.  “No idea.  We'll find out soon enough, I expect.”_

_They returned quickly, carrying a large boulder between them.  My eyebrows raised.  “You think they could break in here?” I asked Lucien conversationally._

“ _The glass hasn't been tested extensively against vampire ingenuity,” Lucien said nervously.  “It wouldn't be too demeaning if we took cover right now.”  I sensed him moving away from me, toward the stairs._

_The lead vampire hefted up the boulder.  He was the strongest of the three, then.  I stood my ground, not blinking.  Something interesting was finally happening._

_The boulder was granite, so when it was hurled against the glass it was the glass that gave way.  I caught the boulder with both hands, but the force of the blow sent me flying backwards, across the living room.  My back hit the counter with a crack of broken wood._

_The crash through the glass had weakened the boulder considerably.  It took nothing for me to crush it into pieces.  “This might turn out the be more fun than I thought,” I commented dryly._

_Movement at my side caught my attention.  Evangeline crouched behind the counter, the silver gun in her hands, her focus on the three vampires stepping into the living room.  As I watched, she began firing on the group._

_Silver bullets ripped through the air, but vampires were fast and Evangeline was only human, with human reflexes. When she'd emptied her clip, she had only scored grazing wounds.  Still, the vampires were wary now.  Silver stung like a bitch._

_I admired her form for the few seconds it took her to empty the clip.  The physical resemblance to Katrina was uncanny, as long as you didn't count her hair color.  After the gun was emptied, she ducked back behind the counter to reload.  I pushed against the counter, standing straight._

_The living room was thoroughly destroyed at this point, which angered me. I didn't particularly like my possessions being destroyed.  I walked slowly over to the trio.  They watched me, pleased with their show of strength.  “You know... I liked that couch.”  My voice was low and threatening.  The white leather upholstery had bullet holes as well as fragments of glass embedded into it.  I spread my arms out.  “It tied the whole room together.”_

_The lead vampire snorted.  “What kind of fairy are you?” he sneered._

“ _Ah, I'm just looking for a reason to kick your ass,” I admitted._

_Evangeline sprang back from behind the counter.  “That'll cost us a trip to Ikea,” she said conversationally.  “That should be fun.”  She kept her gun trained on the vampires, myself included._

_My mouth widened in a grimace.  “Perfect.  Have any of you three ever been shopping with this woman?  It's an absolute nightmare.  You'll be lucky when I just kill you.”_

_I sensed Lucien slipping back into the room behind me.  I wondered what he had been up to, but I didn't take my attention away from the trio.  I just barely sensed him sliding something across the remains of the counter to Evangeline._

“ _Perhaps we can talk this out civilly,” Lucien said calmly.  He stepped forward to stand beside me, while making sure not to block Evangeline's line of fire.  “Before someone gets hurt.”  His tone indicated that we wouldn't be the injured party._

_The leader shrugged.  “I guess we could come to an agreement.  We won't harm the meat sack,”  He nodded in Evangeline’s direction.  “As long as he comes quietly.”  He nodded to me._

“ _Oh, you can kill her, I don't care,” I answered swiftly. Lucien looked like he was about to speak up.  “It would save me the annoyance of having to do it myself.”_

_Lucien glared at me.  “What do you three want here?” he demanded._

_The leader smiled, showing off his fangs.  “You must be David Lucien.  Lady Nora said you were the smart one.”  His two lackeys snickered._

_It took effort not to roll my eyes.  These three were young. The leader looked to be in his early twenties and one of the lackeys looked barely over seventeen.  It wasn't just in physical appearance, they were new to being vampires as well.  I gave them three years, tops.  Nora was underestimating me by sending infants to do her dirty work._

“ _'Lady' Nora?” I asked, quirking up one eyebrow.  “Nora always was a century or two behind the times.”_

_All three turned to me at once, their expressions threatening.  Nora had gotten to them, I could tell.  It was the special gift she had over males.  Say one word against her and they turned insanely defensive._

“ _Look, if you won't come willingly.”  The leader stepped up to me, putting his face far too close to mine.  “Then we'll just take you by force.”  His hand shot out, aimed for my shoulder._

_I slipped aside easily, grabbing his arm under his elbow.  With a twist of my arm I sent him flying into the kitchen.  Evangeline dove behind the counter as he flew over her and into the butcher block table.  The heavy table stood up under the assault as the vampire hit it with a sickening crack._

_My lips widened into a smile.  “That sounded like a few ribs broken,” I said to the two remaining standing vampires.  “Plus a fractured skull.”_

“ _You couldn't have thrown him somewhere else, could you?” Evangeline muttered irritably.  I ignored her woes._

_The pair in front of me advanced as one, ready to attack.  Lucien and I stepped forward to meet them, and the fight truly began._

  
  


********

  
  


It was over quickly, but a lot happened in that few seconds.  I didn't see too much of what occurred in the living room.  My attention was on the vampire who was now in the kitchen, thanks to the vampire that lived here.

I wasn't going to give him a chance to recover and heal.  I opened fire immediately, pumping his chest with hot silver.  He fell back onto the table after I emptied the clip into him, but he was still twitching.

“David, how do I keep one of you bastards down?” I shouted as I reached into the box he had given me.  I pulled out a fistful of silver bullets and ejected the clip from my gun. I hurried to refill it, dropping a few bullets in my haste.

“Aim for his head,” David answered.  I heard a high-pitched scream then and I cringed even though I knew it wasn't from anyone on my team, assuming I had a team in this madness.  I didn't dare turn around, afraid of what I might see.

I got to my feet, slotting the clip back into the gun and pulling the slide back, loading a bullet into the chamber.  I walked over to the prone vampire.

He was in a lot of pain, I could see that.  I had hit him point blank with the entire clip and smoke was rising from his chest.  His teeth were gritted and he was struggling to sit up.

I lifted up the gun, pointing it at the vampire's head.  A sudden lump rose up in my throat and I tried to swallow it down.  I knew I was in danger, that this thing before me was just a monster, but I had never killed anyone before.  I didn't think I could.

My hand began to tremble, the point of the gun wavering. I drew in a deep breath to steady myself.  That was when he attacked.  One fist flying up, aimed for my face.

I blinked as a hand shot out from over my shoulder, grabbing the vampire's fist, holding it firmly just inches from my nose.  Another hand slid over mine, the one that held the gun, his trigger finger over mine.  Without any hesitation, he fired.  The vampire on the table jerked once, then lay still.

I exhaled shakily.

The vampire dropped the fist.  I could see his profile as he leaned over my shoulder.  His expression was one of disgust.  “Hesitation is a sign of weakness,” he said, and I knew that his disgust was for me.  “You showed me mercy as well, when you know that I will surely kill you.”

I swallowed hard.  He wasn't holding anything but my hand, but I could sense him, just barely an inch behind me, almost touching.  My skin prickled like a live wire.  “I'm not a killer,” I stated, my voice rough.

“Those that do not kill...” he said softly, pulling my hand up slowly.  I tried to pull away but his grip was like steel.  He pressed the point of the gun to my chest, right over my heart.  “... are doomed to die.”

I wanted to scream, to cry and shake, to struggle, to escape.  I reined myself under control and slipped my free hand into the pocket of my jeans.  “Maybe I shouldn't have shown you mercy when I did, but that was still my choice.” I said as calmly as I could as I brought my hand up to his, closing it over his wrist.

His skin sizzled as I gripped it with the silver glove.  He hissed in pain as I twisted his wrist, pointing the gun away from my chest.  He dropped my hand and I released him.

I spun around, stepping away from him as I did.  Adrenaline sent blood pounding in my ears.  I was angry, but I had no words to put to it. I just glared at him, breathing heavily.

He held his burned wrist gingerly with his other hand.  His own glare could have melted iron.  I glanced over at David while he seethed.  David stood in the wreckage that was the living room, kneeling over a fallen vampire.  “This one's still alive,” he called.

“Perfect.”  The vampire turned away from me.  He was next to David quicker than my eyes could follow.  I followed at a more human pace.

As I stepped around the counter, I saw the vampire that _wasn't_ still alive, or most of him anyway.  He was missing his head.  I looked away quickly, not trusting my stomach.

David stepped aside as the vampire knelt down to the younger flunky.  He was the unlucky one who was still alive.  Unlucky because whatever the vampire had in mind for him wouldn't be good.

He gripped the flunky by his shirt, lifting him up one-handed.  He was in pretty bad shape; one arm dangled uselessly, and his eyes seemed unable to focus.  His head lolled to one side like a drunk.  “Never... tell you a thing...” he murmured slowly.

“Oh, I'm sure Nora's trained you well,” the vampire answered.  He pulled the younger vampire close, his face just inches away.  “And I really don't want to spend the time and energy I would need to torture information I don't want out of you.”

“So kill me...” the younger vampire said.  I got the impression that he felt he was being exceptionally brave.

“Trust me, I will.”

David stepped toward the pair, looking alarmed.  “What are you-”  Before he could finish, the vampire pushed him back with his free hand.  The force of the blow was so strong that David hit the wall under the TV and cracked the plaster.

I considered shooting him, but I couldn't bring myself to raise my gun.  I was spellbound, unable to look away as the vampire lowered his mouth to the younger one's throat. I knew that he was drinking the younger one's blood, I could see his throat move as he swallowed, but no single drop of blood escaped his lips.  I guessed it wouldn't look like it did in the movies, with blood everywhere.  A vampire wouldn't want to waste its food by being messy.

My mind fluttered around in my head like a caged butterfly, landing on thoughts randomly, trying to distract myself from the horror in my stomach.

Once he was done, the vampire dropped his victim as if he were nothing.  The younger vampire lay still.  Dead.  My stomach lurched.  This was becoming too much too fast.

I still couldn't tear my eyes away as he began to change once again.  The silver wounds on his cheek and wrist healed rapidly, leaving his skin unblemished.  His skin color deepened another shade, looking much more lifelike.  Even his hair looked healthier, a thicker, richer, dark brown.

The last change I had seen him undergo turned him from a middle-aged man to a young man.  He had still looked gaunt then, almost spindly.  Now, that skinny frame was filling out under his clothes, muscle tissue rapidly building over his bones.

He unbuttoned his white shirt quickly, exploring his chest with his fingers.  “Not even a scar!” he crowed triumphantly.  All traces of the bullet wound I had given him were gone.  I finally turned my eyes away from his chest as I felt my face heat up.  The adrenaline from the fight must still be in my system.

He turned to David.  “Lucien, look at me!” he said, spreading his arms out wide.  “I haven't felt this alive in decades!”

David wore a weary expression as he got to his feet.  He sighed heavily.  “You look good, but you shouldn't have done that.”  He looked around at the remains of the living room.  “Everything is such a mess.”

It was then that the vampire did the most surprising thing I had seen that night.  He walked over to David and embraced him firmly.  He pulled back a little to look into David’s face.  “You fought well tonight,” he beamed.  “I'm proud of you.”

“I'm not proud of myself,” David admitted sadly.  He was staring down at the body of the headless vampire.  “I haven't killed in years, human nor vampire.  I thought I had put it behind me.”

The vampire took David's face in his hands and pressed their foreheads together, forcing David to look at him.  It was such an intimate gesture that I cast my eyes to the floor.  “You were protecting yourself, and me, the only family you have left.  There is no shame in that.” I heard the vampire whispering.  “I may not agree with the life you've built for yourself while I was gone, but as long as you are in charge of your own life, that you live the way that you want to, I will be proud of you.”

After a few moments I looked up.  The two vampires were standing away from each other, facing me, both looking more relaxed.  “So, you two are related...” I said awkwardly.  I had decided that this was the safest subject to talk about, under the circumstances.  “Were you brothers before you... changed?”

The vampire shook his head.  “Lucien's my son.”  He put a hand on David's shoulder.  “My only son, now.”

I tried not to let my surprise show on my face, but it was hard to control.  As I looked back and forth between them, I could see the resemblance.  They had the same hair, the same skin coloring, but it was deeper than that.  Their faces were mostly different, but I could see a few little details, the shape of the jaw, the lines of their shoulders, that were the same.  “Oh...” I said, that being the only thing my mind could think of in response.

“That's what I came to talk to my father about.  While he was... asleep, Nora killed my older brother, Lucifer.”  For a brief second an old pain flickered across David's face.

In contrast, the vampire's pain was fresh.  His face flushed in anger.  “I will kill her, rip her limb from limb,” he vowed.  “It's been such a long time, I could forgive her for every other thing she has stolen from me, but not this.  I will destroy her.”

“Nora is supposed to be a big shot, right?  If she can just send goons after us whenever she wants?” I blurted out.  “I’m assuming she's your ex, so that has to suck.  How are you supposed to take her down by yourself?”

“It's worse than that,” David said, smiling grimly.  “Nora is my mother.”

My eyes widened.  This situation was becoming all kinds of weird.  “Your... mother,” I echoed.  David nodded. I could almost understand Nora before hearing that.  The vampire was a real pain in the ass and I could easily believe that he had done something heinous to her that had enraged her to the point of wanting to take him down.  But... a mother killing her own son?  That kind of thing I would never understand. “... Damn.” I said.  I certainly was eloquent tonight.

“For now, let's just clean up this mess,” David said.  He looked around again, as if wondering where to start.

The vampire sighed and bent down.  He lifted the younger vampire's body up over his shoulder as if he were a sack of flour.  “We can dig a grave in the pines,” he suggested brightly.  “About three hundred yards north of here.  I picked out a perfect spot when I first moved in.  Wouldn’t want wolves or bears coming too close to the house.”

“I bet that's something they don't put in real estate brochures,” I muttered as I picked my way through the living room, avoiding the broken glass.  “'Lovely grave site on property'.”

David gave me a long look.  “Perhaps you should go turn in,” he suggested.  “You look drained.”

Actually, I felt like I would pass out any minute.  I wanted to object.  I was still hoping to listen in on any conversations they had, but I knew David was right.  Rest was what I needed, and I really didn't want to clean up the living room.  “All right.” I headed for the stairs.

The vampire was halfway through the broken window with his parcel when he turned back.  “Hey, she has to help, too,” he objected.  “Isn't cleaning her job?”

“I don't think I put 'corpse disposal' in her contract,” David said wryly.  He hefted up the other vampire body.  He also leaned behind the couch to retrieve his head.  That was enough for me.  I hurried upstairs before my stomach gave out entirely.


	11. Slipping Away

 

I sat at the kitchen table, bundled up in a terry cloth robe over a pair of old jeans, my hands wrapped around a mug of coffee.  I was trying desperately to block out the noise.

The living room was filled with workers, all talking loudly over their work.  There was the sound of a buzz saw going and endless hammering.  The broken glass had been removed from the window and a large piece of plywood covered it.  It did little to keep out the pre-winter chill.

David had left late last night, but not before returning my keys to me.  I had been up, of course.  Between mentally suppressing the deaths that had occurred last night and forcing myself not to eavesdrop on two conversing vampires, there had been no time for sleep.

I hoped, prayed this wasn't going to become a normal thing for me.  In some of the books I had read, the humans eventually had to conform their sleeping habits to the vampires', staying up all night and sleeping through the day.  I wasn't one for being a night owl.

I took a sip of coffee and cringed.  Every movement made my head ache. 

The vampire placed a heavy glass bottle filled with amber liquid on the table and dropped down onto the bench across from me.  “You look like death just barely warmed over,” he said bluntly.  “Bad dream?”

“Didn't sleep,” I said shortly, taking another tentative sip of my coffee.

“Same here.”  He opened the bottle and poured some of the contents into my mug.  “This will help.”

“What is it?” I asked suspiciously. He was being civil, something was up.

“Bourbon.”

I sniffed my coffee gingerly, though I doubt I could detect any poisons if they were present.  I decided to take a chance and sipped slowly.  I didn't keel over immediately and relaxed, but only slightly. I turned my attention back to him.  “Explain one thing to me.  The one thing that's bugging me the most about all this.”

“Continue.”

“How in God's name does a vampire have children?”

The vampire folded his hands together on the table in front of me.  “You really want to know?” he asked, his expression deadly serious.  I nodded slowly, wondering if this was wise.

He leaned forward a little and lowered his voice.  I leaned toward him, trying to hear over the cacophony in the living room.  “You see, little Evangeline, when a boy vampire and a girl vampire love each other very much-”

I shoved him away with both hands, giving him a sour expression.  “Grow up!” I snapped, hating how he chuckled at my reaction.  “Are you going to answer me seriously, or what?  I thought vampires couldn't have kids, the whole 'undead' thing.  That's why they turn people.”  I took another sip from my coffee mug.  The bourbon settled in my stomach, giving me a warm feeling that was slowly spreading to my limbs.  It gave me a bit more energy to bicker.

He gave me a look as if I had insulted him deeply.  “Undead? What do you think I am, a zombie?”

“Vampires are undead, everyone knows that,” I said at once.  “There's no such thing as zombies.”  I paused.  “Wait, is there such a thing as zombies?”

The vampire's face flushed slightly, which surprised me.  He had always been so pale, no matter what his expression.  Perhaps it was all the blood he drank last night?  “I am not a corpse!” he said angrily.  He grabbed my hand by the wrist, pulling me across the table.  He placed my palm on his chest.  He was wearing a thin shirt, so I could feel how cold his skin was.

I tried to pull my hand back, but his grip was like iron.  His eyes bore into mine.  “Wait.”

After a few seconds, I shook my head.  “I don't-”

“Wait,” he ordered.

Then I felt it.  A slight tremor under the skin, echoing through my hand.  A heartbeat.  An incredibly slow one, but still there.

“Okay, I get it,” I said weakly.

He released me at once, still finding contact with me quite repulsive.  I sat back down in my seat with a thump.  I rubbed my wrist even though it was uninjured. 

Okay, so technically he was alive. At least that was his point.  I kept a remark about the fact that he still doesn't breathe normally behind my lips.  Instead, I went back to my original topic.  “So... vampire children.”

He was looking at me with an irritable expression.  For half a second, I expected him to cross his arms over his chest and huff.  Instead, he launched into an explanation that, to me, sounded rehearsed.

“Occasionally, two vampires either love each other enough, or find it convenient enough to be near each other for an extended period of time, and sometimes a product of that alliance is a child.”  He stared at the bottle broodingly.  From his expression, I knew that he was seeing something else, something remembered.  “It's hard,” he said after a moment.  “Being so close to another vampire for an extended period of time.  Living together is nearly impossible.  The hunger is always there, the desire to kill.”  He looked at me now, with those odd red eyes of his.  “Some of us hunger for our own kind more than we do yours.”

I felt a sudden chill in my chest.  I drained the rest of my mug, trying to get back that warm feeling.  “So, a vampire child, is it different from a turned vampire?” I asked, unable to squash my curiosity.  “And what about half-breeds? There's lore out there about half human, half vampires.”

“No half breeds,” he answered swiftly.  “It's impossible.  We’re far too different from humans, the genes don't match.  As for vampire children, they're usually stronger and better able to deal with bloodlust.  They have it since they are born, so they don't know anything different.  Lucien does well for himself on pig's blood.”  The vampire started to laugh.  “Do you know what he told me last night?”  He didn't wait for me to answer.  “He's married.  He has a human wife.  She doesn't even know he's a vampire.”

My eyebrows wrinkled together in confusion.  “How can she not know?  How does he explain the blood?”

The vampire laughed harshly.  “He's convinced her that he has some kind of disease.  A severe protein deficiency.  He even has doctor's notes.”  His laughter subsided and he stared at the table top, scratching at it with one nail absently.  “A human wife,” he repeated coolly.

A strange mixture of emotions crossed his face.  I could see a flash of annoyance and confusion, but mostly there was a disconnected, lost look to his eyes.  Here was a person who had missed so much, had lost so much time, that he no longer knew how he fit into the world around him.

The bourbon had made me feel so peaceful that I spared a moment of sympathy for the vampire.  I reached my hand forward to place it over his in a comforting manner when my vision suddenly blurred.

My hand missed his by a few inches. My arm slid forward and I let it go.  I was more focused on why my head was feeling so heavy to think about my arm.  After a few seconds it didn't matter as everything went dark.

  
  


********

  
  


_ Her head fell forward slowly until it rested on her arm.  She began to snore lightly.  I stood up and walked around to her side of the table.  “It's not wise to drink alcohol on so little sleep.”  I knelt down, sliding one arm behind her back and another under her knees.  I lifted her up easily whereas a human might struggle. _

_ Even I had noticed that she wasn't exactly a stick. Her baggy men's clothes couldn't hide the padding she had around her hips and chest. _

_ I walked through the living room with her in my arms.  The workers didn't notice anything strange because I didn't want them to.  I carried her up the stairs, stopping outside the door to her room. _

_ Sunlight shone out from under the crack at the bottom of the door.  I couldn't stow her in there, then.  The guest bedroom was the same. _

_ I opened the door to my room, closing it behind me with my foot.  I considered putting her on the bed, but decided against it.  Her scent would be on it for weeks.  My nose wrinkled at the thought.  I wasn't sure if it was her shampoo or soap, but she had a flowery scent that was nearly unbearable. _

_ I dumped her on the small sofa in the corner of the room instead.  She didn't stir.  She just lay there in a sleep as deep as death.  Weak and helpless.  If I was in a better mood I would have played a prank on her.  I didn't think I would catch her off guard like this again. _

_ Biting her would certainly give her a scare when she woke up.  Or for a bigger fright, I could undress her.  Imagining the look on her face almost made me smile, but I had more important matters to attend to. _

_ I rummaged through her pockets until I found the keys.  As I looked at the large ring it occurred to me that Katrina had forgotten to put some silver among the keys.  Such an amateur mistake... _

_ I dressed with great care, choosing dark wool pants and a matching turtleneck.  Over this I wore a long, heavy black coat.  After digging around in the closet, I found a black hat with a brim wide enough to shield my eyes, and a heavy wool scarf.  I pulled on a pair of leather gloves to complete my outfit.  As an afterthought, I grabbed a large black umbrella. _

_ The vampire I had drained last night had been young and full of blood.  Enough blood for me to survive the heat of the sun for a little while, provided I covered as much of my body that I could.  Braving the ball of fire hovering in the sky was not ideal.  The warmth of it would soak through any amount of clothing, but I only had a few hours before Evangeline awoke and I wanted to make the most of that time. _

_ I slipped out of the room, locking the door behind me, and drifted down the stairs.  I decided to check on the workers before I left. _

_ The wall under the television had been damaged during the fight.  The workers had decided to replace the sheet rock, rather than patch up such a large hole.  As I watched, I remembered the fireplace that had once been there.  I asked, and was told it was still there, behind the wall.  I told them to cut it out and have it in working order before I returned.  They agreed without protest.  The hold I had over their minds was strong, they would work until I came back. _

_ I unlocked the door and stepped out onto the porch.  A tall, dark boy stood in front of me, one hand reaching out for the doorbell.  He apologized quickly and stepped to the side.  He struck me as a strange young man.  For one thing, he had a door with him. _

“ _ Who are you, and what are you doing here?” I asked, using my influence on him before he answered. _

“ _ Ricky, Angie's friend,” he answered immediately, a friendly smile on his face.  “I brought the door for the kitchen.” _

_ I looked him over.  He was certainly no threat.  “You're here to put up the door yourself?” I asked.  He nodded.  “How much is she paying you?” _

_ He shook his head.  “I wouldn't charge Angie.” _

_ My eyes narrowed just a bit.  “Is she special to you?” _

“ _ She's nice, but I haven't known her that long.  I promised Aunt Katrina that I would take care of the house before she died.  She'd skin me alive if I let it fall apart.” _

“ _ You do know that she's dead, right?” I pointed out. _

_ He grinned.  “She wouldn't let a little thing like that stop her.” _

_ Despite myself, a small laugh escaped me.  I put my hand on the boy's shoulder.  “I think I like you.  You can live,” I said pleasantly. _

“ _ Uh, thank you, sir.  Can I go put up the door now?” _

“ _ Go right ahead.”  I stepped aside, holding the front door open while he maneuvered the kitchen door into the vestibule. _

_ He caught sight of the living room.  “What happened?” he asked in concern. _

“ _Car,” I said simply.  “Drove right through the window.”_

“ _ But, the road is on the other side of the house, how-” Ricky asked as I shut the door and went on my way. _

  
  


_ ******** _

  
  


_ The cemetery was deserted and I had no trouble finding the right grave.  The headstone was unusual to me, as I was used to large granite affairs.  It seems the ones made nowadays were flat, little things.  From a distance, you might not be able to spot a whole graveyard of these.  That was probably the point.  Probably saved on the cost of the stone, as well. _

_ Katrina hadn't been in the ground long before the cold set in, so there was no grass covering her grave site, just a bare patch of black earth.  I stared down at the gravestone for a long time. It read: _

_ Katrina Riley _

_ 1931 – 2013 _

_ Anger welled up inside of me as I read the name.  “How could you do this to me?”  My voice rang out sharply in the cold air.  “You trapped me in my own home for fifty years.  You claimed my property as your own.”  I was starting to seethe, my voice growing louder.  “You lived your life, ate your meals, worked, and slept, all while I rotted up in the attic!” _

_ My hands ached to destroy something, anything.  I fell to my knees and began clawing at the dirt under the headstone, tearing it away in great chunks.  I would rip her coffin out of the ground and strangle answers from her corpse. _

“ _ Why?!” I raged.  “You lived your life hunting me!  If you were just going to let yourself waste away and die, why didn't you kill me too?!” _

_ I stopped, my eyes wide.  A terrible pain, worse even than sunlight, burned in my chest.  A sob tore itself from my throat.  Tears were impossible for me, but I was weeping. _

“ _ You stupid woman, how could you die?” I asked sadly.  I gripped the earth with both hands, squeezing as hard as I could. _

_ When Katrina had been alive, I could always feel her hunting me.  No matter how far apart we were, her shadow was always around the corner. _

_ Now I felt nothing. _

_ The pain of Nora’s betrayal did not sting like this.  I had always known we would drift apart.  Two vampires never stayed together long, and it had been a miracle how long our relationship had lasted. _

_ But Katrina... I thought that her fire would never go out. _

_ I sat there for a long time in silence.  The sky darkened to sunset, casting the headstones in sharp relief. The shadows lengthened, striping the graveyard. _

_ I heard a soft click.  My head snapped up, my eyes searching the shadows. _

_ Footsteps, soft and careful, came from ahead and slightly to the right.  Two young women were walking toward me.   They were identical in appearance, down to the clothing they wore.  They both had pale skin, electric blue eyes, and blonde hair that curled over one shoulder.  Twins.  Fangs, a dangerous aura.  Vampiric twins. _

_ Things had certainly gotten interesting.  I stood up to my full height, putting out a confident appearance. _

_ Though their looks were exactly the same, their manners and expressions were completely different.  One wore a triumphant smile on her face while the other was looking around fearfully, trying not to meet my gaze. _

“ _ Nora said you would stop by here eventually,” the confident twin called to me.  She held a cherry red cellphone in her hand.  She turned to her sister briefly.  “I knew coming here one more time would be a good idea.”  The pair stopped a dozen feet from where I stood.  “My name is Callisto.  This is my sister, Calypso.” _

“ _ I feel honored to meet such a lovely pair,” I said politely.  “But it is rather rude to lie about your names.” _

_ Callisto's smile was very wide.  “I'm not lying.  You'll discover that you cannot use our true names against us.”  She glanced at her sister, who was fidgeting nervously.  “It would be useless to try.” _

_ I reached out for their minds with my own.  Vampire minds were more difficult to influence than human ones, but I was strong and full of blood. _

_ She spoke the truth.  My influence slid off of the pair like water down glass.  My eyes narrowed. _

_ Callisto held up her hands in mock surrender.  “We're not here for a fight.”  Like her sister, she wore a long black coat that tied in the front, black slacks, and heels.  She passed the phone to her sister.  “Just a chat.” _

_ My eyes were on Calypso as she dialed a number swiftly.  She cradled the phone to her ear.  “He's here,” she whispered. _

“ _ That's Nora?” I asked softly, careful not to show any emotion. _

_ Calypso looked up at me, startled.  She quickly looked away again, but I saw something in her eyes in that brief moment.  She was powerful, in what way I wasn't sure as she didn't look like a fighter.  I guessed that she was stronger than her sister, and was the one protecting the pair from my influence. _

_ Callisto was definitely the one in charge.  When she saw that my attention was focused on her sister, she wrapped an arm around her waist protectively.  I focused my attention back to her.  “What would you want to talk about with me?” I asked.  “Nora is the one that wants me dead, and she obviously knows where I am.  It seems to me that I'm the one with the questions.” _

“ _ Lady Nora wants to know why you have not come to see her,” Callisto said, ignoring my comments.  “After so long, she feels... neglected.” _

_ I pulled my lips back over my fangs and let out a short, humorless laugh.  “I'm afraid that I love my neck more than I care about Nora's hurt feelings. She seems to have made many strong new allies.”  My smile turned to a sneer as I remembered how I had dispatched the goons the night before. _

_ I mentioned nothing of Lucifer's death. No point in showing just how much I wanted Nora staked and beheaded.  It was better to pretend I could care less.  For now. _

“ _ Lady Nora has said nothing of taking your life,” Callisto said, her face showing perfect honesty.  I didn't believe her for a second.  “She only wishes for you to return to her side.” _

_ My hands clenched reflexively.  “That was always Nora’s way, wasn't it?  'Her’ side.” I jabbed a finger into my chest.  “She was supposed to stand by me, at 'my' side.”  I raised my voice, hoping it carried through the phone. _

_ Calypso's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.  She looked at me and grabbed her sister's sleeve.  “We should go.” Her voice was frantic. _

_ Callisto looked over at her sister.  “What, why? What did she say?” _

_ Calypso didn't answer her.  She stepped back, pulling at her sister.  “Lady Nora is very disappointed,” she whispered at me. _

_ Overhead, dark clouds rushed to cover the sky.  Thunder rumbled ominously.  I looked around quickly.  “She's here?” I asked.  I raised my voice. “Where are you!?” _

_ Lightning crackled among the clouds.  I threw myself backwards as a great bolt of it hit the ground, scorching blue.  Another bolt came down, hitting the headstone, obliterating it. _

_ Of course she would use lightning. I  was out in the open, with no cover in sight. “Coward!” I shouted.  “Vile witch!”  My anger slipped out of my control, making my blood boil in my veins.  “Show yourself so I can gut you like the sow you are!” _

_ Large figures stepped forward, surrounding.  The twins were gone and replaced by more vicious adversaries.  I spat at the ground in defiance.  “More cronies, Nora?” I shouted.  “I'll rip them to shreds!  I’ll drain every last one of them!” _

_ I got no response as the figures advanced quickly and attacked. _

 


	12. Blood Sickness

**** I woke to the unmistakable sound of water hitting tile.  I groaned as I sat up.  Where was I? And why did it feel like my brain was encased in wool?

As my brain booted up I realized where I was.  The shower door was ajar, steam wafting out.  A pile of clothes lay on the chair next to the door.

Immediately I did a self inspection, making sure my own clothes were intact.  I felt my neck for bite marks and was relieved to find the skin unblemished.  I reached into my pocket for my keys.  They were gone.

I watched the shower door for a long moment, making sure the vampire wasn't coming out anytime soon.  Other than the sound of the running water, I heard nothing.  I crept silently over to the pile of clothes on the chair and picked up the pants, checking the pockets. As expected, I found the keys right away.

Curiously, the pants were torn and covered with what looked like mud.  There were some damp patches that wet my hands.  Pulling my fingers away, I stiffened when I found that they were stained red. Immediately, the pants were dropped and I unconsciously wiped my hand down my robe, the terry cloth now streaked with blood.

He had been outside of the house.  Of course he had, that's why he put me to sleep.  He had gone out to kill.

I drew in a slow breath, trying to keep myself steady.  Anger, rather than fear, was building up inside of me along with the sting of guilt.  It was my fault that he had gotten out.  I was supposed to watch him and keep him inside.  The lives he took were on my conscience as well as his.

I turned away from the bathroom quickly, marching purposely out of the room.  I briskly retrieved my silver weapons and returned to the Master bedroom.

It was my fault that he got out.  I should have killed him that first night, then this wouldn't have happened.  It was my responsibility.  I was going to make sure he never hurt anyone else.

I raised my silver gun up and kicked open the bathroom door.  It slammed against the wall with a bang.  I stepped slowly into the room as steam poured out, obscuring my vision and making my lungs feel heavy.  I kept my gun pointed ahead of me.

I could make his shape out in the shower. As the steam cleared out of the room, I saw him more clearly.  I could tell right away that there was something wrong with him. He stood under the water, his forehead pressed against the tile.  His arms hung at his sides limply.  His skin was an angry red color, flushed with heat. He turned his feverish eyes toward me slowly.  They were completely red, as if the whites of his eyes were soaked in blood.  He moved his lips laboriously.  "You're going to shoot me..." he observed.

"You deserve it," I said firmly, my finger tightening over the trigger.  I was preparing myself to pull it, to shoot him, but was having trouble over how completely sick he looked.

"You should do it quick..." he said as he slowly turned so the back of his head rested on the tile wall.  "You'll never have a chance like this again..."  He turned his red scleras up to the ceiling.  "I've made such a stupid mistake..."

“What happened to you?  Tell me right now.”

"I drank too much..." he replied. "Far too much...  The blood was.... wrong..."

A hard lump formed in my throat.  "How much?"  I forced the words past the obstruction.  "How many did you kill?"

He shook his head slowly, then grimaced in pain.  "There must have been half a dozen vampires...  I couldn't help it...  After I was full, I should have stopped...  but it had been so long since I really fed..."

Vampires?  "You were attacked while you were out?"  He nodded slowly.  "Did you kill any humans?"  I asked very firmly.

"I would have, if I had seen any," he answered, focusing his eyes back on me.  "Have you decided against killing me today?"

I lowered the gun reluctantly.  "For now, but I won’t hesitate if you hurt a human being.  Now, explain to me how you drank so much that you became ill."

His shoulders lifted in a weak shrug.  The effort must have been too much for him, because he slid down the shower wall until he was sitting on the floor.  He leaned his forehead against his knees.  "I didn't notice it at first... and then I didn't care... I thought I would be fine..."

"If the blood is making you sick, can't you just puke it up?" I stared at the stream of water pouring on top of him curiously.  I realized then that the tap was set to cold, not hot. It turned to steam after it touched his skin.

"The blood is already in my veins, emptying my stomach wouldn't help..."

"Then cut yourself.  Bleed it out of you."

He let out a small chuckle, then groaned in pain.  "I don't have the strength," he answered.  "My skin is too tough."

"Then I'll do it." I said.  Before I could really think about what I was doing, I put the gun in the sink and pulled on my silver glove.  I flexed my fingers, making the razor sharp blades protrude from the fingertips. I stepped into the shower.  Drops of icy cold water hit my face and neck as I knelt down next to the vampire.  "Give me your arm."

He held out his arm, underside up.  "Can you really do it?"

I held up my gloved hand, then hesitated.  Could I do this?  Could I really cut him?  I’d shot him before, in self defense.  This was a whole different situation.  My hand trembled slightly as I pressed the blades to the inside of his wrist.  I shut my eyes and jerked my hand.

He gasped in pain and I opened my eyes quickly.  Blood dripped from the wound on his wrist for a brief moment, then it sealed shut.  "It's too small..." he said, gasping again.  "Make it bigger or I'll just heal.  And keep your eyes open this time. You can't even see what you're doing."

My teeth gritted together.  "I don't have to help you, you know.  I should just leave you here to suffer."

He took his arm back and turned his face to the side.  "Fine then, leave me here."

I considered just walking away, but I knew that Nora would send more goons to the house. The bullets David had given me wouldn't last forever. I was pretty much a sitting duck.

I took a deep breath.  "I'll help you," I said. "But you have to tell me your name first."

His mouth cracked in a half smile.  "Bloodletting makes us more familiar with each other?"  His voice was getting lower.  He barely seemed conscious.

“You said it yourself that names have power.”

“Not that you can use.”

"I'm just tired of having nothing to call you, okay?" I grumbled.  "How am I supposed to tell you apart from the bad guys?"

"I am one of the bad guys," he pointed out.

"I mean Nora's gang, the ones more likely to kill me."

"Only slightly."

I kept talking, mentally preparing myself for the task ahead of me.  "You had me in a vulnerable position earlier and I'm still alive."

"Lucien would be annoyed with me if I killed you."

"Remind me to send him a fruit basket.  So, are you going to keep avoiding my one request?"

He still wasn't looking at me.  "I don't remember my name."

I felt my brow furrowing.  “You mean from before you got locked up?"

"No, from a long, long time before that. My first name."

I frowned.  If he had remembered it, would that mean he would have told me his true name? “Was it Gabriel?”  The last dream I had echoed in my head.  A ruined wedding, a burning church, and a lone figure walking back into the flames.

"Crowley, Gabriel Crowley. An old alias of mine. Gabriel might be my true name."

“It’ll do, for now.”  I prepared myself.

He held out his arm again.  With his other hand, he pointed to the inside of his elbow. "Cut from here to here."  He dragged his finger down to his wrist.

"Alright."  I placed the silver claws at the inside of his elbow.

The skin began to burn.  The vampire, Gabriel, gritted his teeth.  "Get it over with."

I pulled my hand down his arm as quickly as I could.  The cut wasn't in a straight line.  It curved as my hand slipped off of his arm just before I reached his wrist.

Blood sprayed the front of my shirt.  I sat backwards, water soaking through the back of my pants instantly.  I watched in horrified amazement as blood poured out of his wound, the force of it keeping the wound from healing.  It mixed with the water from the shower, so that gallons of red-tinged water swirled down the drain.

After a moment, his color returned to normal and the steam began to disperse.  I looked away then, apparently more uncomfortable with him naked than bleeding.

"It's healed,"  He said after another moment.  His voice sounded stronger.

"You're going to be okay?" I asked as I stood up and headed for the door.  He shut the cold water off.  I wasn't really waiting for an answer. All I wanted was to get out of there, maybe soak in a hot bath in my own bathroom.

He grabbed my shoulder firmly and turned me around to face him.  "Thank you," he said in a strained voice, as if thanking me was an onerous task.  Then again, with his pride, thanking anyone would be difficult.

"You're welcome," I answered with stiff politeness, my eyes on the wall behind him.

He pushed past me, heading for the door.  "You can wash up in here.  I don't want you dripping on my carpet."  I heard the door shut before I turned around.

I let out a long breath.  "Well, glad to see you're taking everything in stride," I said to the blank door.  I went over and locked it quickly, not that the tiny bolt posed a hindrance at all.

I peeled off my wet clothes and wrung them out in the shower.  Then I turned the water up hot, searing the blood off of my skin.  I washed my hair while I was at it and tried not to pay much mind to the foam from the shampoo having turned pink.  When I was done, I stepped out of the shower and opened the linen closet, hunting for a towel.

Something black caught the corner of my eye.  I turned and saw a black robe hanging off of the towel bar.  I frowned at it.  Had that always been there?  I glanced at the door.  It was still locked.

I shivered briefly, then decided not to question it.  I pulled on the robe, tying it firmly.  It was a bit large, so I rolled up the sleeves.  The hem came down past my knees, which suited me just fine.

Mercifully, Gabriel was dressed when I exited the bathroom with my bundle of wet clothes.  There wasn't anything I could think of to say to shake the awkward feeling in the air, so I decided to just leave.  He pretended not to notice me at all.

Once I was back in my own room, I sighed with relief.  Random thoughts floated into my head, ready to be examined.

Gabriel had fought against a large group of vampires and he had won.  He would have been fine if he hadn't O.D.ed on their blood.  How strong did that make Gabriel?  Stronger than normal vampires, obviously.  Unless Nora was sending weak vampires at him on purpose... which didn't make sense if she wanted him dead.  Why did she want him dead, anyway?

I needed more information.  My eyes fell on Great Aunt Katrina's diary.  I was sure to find some answers there, if I could decipher the damned thing.  I walked over to the desk and grabbed the book.  I didn't bother changing out of the robe.  I plopped down on my little bed and cracked open to a random page.

  


********

  


_I did not think to keep a log of my experiences in this world until I was well advanced in my years.  As such, this record jumps around as I recall moments in my life.  One day, I shall go over these memoirs and reorder them more coherently.  David suggested I publish it as a fiction novel, he's always full of rubbish like that._

_Most recently, my mind wandered down through the years to the beginning.  I wasn't always this hardened and bitter, though it was a very long time ago that my heart felt light.  Perhaps now is the time to recall my origins._

_I was born in a small Irish town.  I am hesitant to record the name here.  The village no longer exists and I do not want anyone disturbing the spirits of the dead._

_My family owned a little shop in the center of town.  We sold radios, and my father repaired broken ones.  This was back before television became widely used, so radios were very popular, and business was good. My father was a straight and tall man.  He had dark brown hair and wore a thick mustache.  Looking up at him I could just make out severe blue eyes from under dark, bushy brows._

_My elder sister, Kirsten, was much like my father, tall with dark brown hair.  She was lean and strong and had a no-nonsense head on her shoulders.  She helped Father run the shop._

_My mother was pale and slender, with red hair that was light, like a pale sunset.  Her eyes were a soft and tender blue.  She spent most of her day looking after the house, so it fell on me to watch Alice._

_Little Alice was my baby sister.  She was soft and chubby and angelic.  Her hair was nothing more than blond fuzz, and she had Mother's eyes.  I loved Alice dearly, and felt so grown up when I took care of her. At the tender age of ten I already knew how to change her.  I knew how to keep sharp things up high and out of her reach and I was the one who taught her how to crawl.  When she smiled her gummy smile at me, I felt warm and happy._

_We were not without hardship, but we were all happy, and lost in our ordinary life.  Everything changed when Farmer Aiot disappeared._

_Word traveled quickly, as it does in small towns.  Kirsten herself had seen Mrs. Aiot walk into the pub across the street, looking quite anxious._

_He was found days later in the river.  The only reason I heard about it at all was because I was walking around, showing Alice the shop, when a good friend of my father's, Constable Crane, came in to gossip.  From the expression on his face, I knew something big had happened.  I carried Alice over to the counter and sat her down on the floor.  I ducked down with her quietly and we both listened._

_"Dragged 'im out this mornin'," Crane was saying.  "Throat sliced open.  Coroner says he bled right out."_

_I peeked out from behind the counter and watched my father shake his head sadly.  "I can't think of anyone who would do such a thing.  And to Aiot, of all people.  The man was in his sixties and never harmed a soul."_

_"They think it was an outsider.  Though they said they couldn't be sure since there were no fingermarks."  'They' were the detectives from the next town, our town being too small to have any of our own._

_"Katrina..." my father said sternly, noticing my red hair sticking up over the counter most likely._

_"I was just fetching Alice's rattle.  It fell behind the counter."  I picked up Alice and scurried up the stairs._

_Farmer Aiot was only the first victim.  Widow Dowly's eldest son went missing a week after.  Kirsten let slip to me that he was killed in the same way._

_The air in town had changed.  A cold, bitter wind blew through the land.  The early spring seeds refused to sprout and the trees remained bare.  The sky turned gray and a somber rain fell._

_Families locked their doors at night and traveled in groups when they went out.  There were scared whispers coming from every direction.  'There is a murderer about!' they said._

_Father Quinn was the only one in anything like good spirits.  The little church was filled up every night, everyone hoping for a little sanctuary.  Apparently not even church was safe, as Father Quinn was the third victim._

_I didn't hear how he had died, no one would speak of such an awful thing in my presence.  Mother told me that night I was supposed to be home right after school every day and I wasn't allowed to take Alice outside by myself._

_These memories are dim at best, but the next part I remember vividly.  It was seared into my mind long ago, and will haunt me until the day I finally loosen my grip on this life._

_Within a couple of weeks, a new clergyman arrived in town to take over for Father Quinn.  I was the first one to meet him._

_It was early morning, the sun just rising.  The sky was overcast, so the sun itself could not be seen.  A taxi from the next town dropped him off in front of the church.  I was helping Father and Kirsten open the shop by sweeping out front.  That was when I saw him step out of the big, black cab._

_He wasn't very tall, and looked young for a priest.  His hair was raven black and worn rather casually for a man of the cloth.  His black suit was properly tailored though, and fit his thin frame perfectly._

_I rarely ever saw someone new, and there was no one else around, so I openly stared at the man.  The cab chugged away and he stood alone on the steps of the church, suitcase dangling from his hand.  He stood with his back straight, staring up at the church.  As I watched, he inhaled slowly, as if he were scenting the air._

_He started walking up the steps, and it was at that moment, the handle of his suitcase snapped off. The suitcase tumbled down the steps.  I heard the good Father swear under his breath._

_Before I realized it, I had dropped my broom and hurried across the street.  The suitcase hit the street, but didn't pop open.  I grabbed it quickly.  The priest was already reaching for it as I hefted it up and handed it to him.  He had carried it as if it were light, but it was heavy and very old.  No wonder the handle had come undone.  "You shouldn't swear, Father," I said quietly._

_"You're a strong little girl," he commented with a small smile.  His eyes were as dark as his hair, but they twinkled with a hidden mirth._

_I frowned at him.  "I'm not 'little'," I told him firmly.  "I'm ten, and I'm strong from carrying Alice around."_

_"Alice is your doll?"  The mirth in his voice deepened._

_"My sister," I corrected.  "She's nine months old, and very chubby."_

_His eyebrows raised, as if he were impressed, but I suspected it was a false expression.  "My apologies, young lady," he said solemnly.  "I'm new in town and didn't know what was about."_

_I was suspicious now.  "You're not Irish, are you, Father?"_

_"You are as clever as you are stout.  I'm English.  I can see now that I will get nothing by you."  He wagged a finger at me._

_If he was English, then that explained his strangeness.  I had known there was something wrong with him right from the start.  I had heard about the English from my father, so I was pretty well versed._

_"Is that your shop over there?" he asked, looking across the street.  "Riley's Radios?"_

_"It's my father's shop," I said, my chest swelling with pride.  "Do you have a radio, Father?"_

_"I do, but it's not working."_

_"Father repairs broken radios, you should bring it by."_

_"I believe that I shall.  Will you give me a discount?"  His none-too-well-hidden merriment had returned._

_"Of course not," I replied haughtily.  "You're a stranger. And you're English."_

_He put his hand to his chest.  "Ah, but I am here to save the lost little lambs who have strayed from God."_

_I looked him over again.  Finally I held out my hand.  "I'm Katrina Riley."_

_He smiled warmly, taking my hand in his briefly.  It was like ice and made me shiver.  "Father Crowley. It's a pleasure to meet you."_

 


	13. A Cold Wind Blows

_ The gloomy atmosphere did not lift over my little town.  The clouds continued to gather overhead, getting heavier as each day passed and casting all of us in an eternal twilight.  A light drizzle seemed to fall all the time. _

_ I hated this awful weather.  I missed sunlight. I missed taking Alice outside to see the birds.  I missed climbing the big tree behind the shop.  Now I just sat looking out the window.  I watched the little church across the street and the pub down at the corner.  They were both filled due to these troubling times, people drowning their sorrows one way or another. _

_ "There was a lightning storm late last night," Father told Mother as he lingered over breakfast one morning.  Kirsten was already downstairs running the shop and Alice was asleep in her bassinet. _

_ "Was anyone hurt?" Mother asked in concern as she poured herself a cup of tea. _

_ Father chewed his food slowly.  "No people," he said after a moment. _

_ Mother sat down next to him at the table.  "What happened?" _

_ Father turned his eyes to me.  He wouldn't talk if I were around.  I picked up my plate and put it in the sink.  Then I left the room, hanging out by the doorway and listening. _

_ "It was over on Dawson's land.  The lightning knocked down a few trees.  Hit the barn, too." _

_ I heard my mother gasp.  "And the horses?" _

_ Father paused.  "A few managed to escape the fire."  His voice lowered and I strained to hear him.  "But... they were hit by lightning as they tried to escape.  They're all dead.  It's as if it were done on purpose somehow.  Dawson is ruined." _

_ "On purpose?" Mother asked sadly.  "What's going on here?  I phoned my cousin, Doris, just yesterday.  She said the weather has been fine all week.  Perfect sunny days, she says, and she's just in the next town." _

_ "There's talk going around that we're being punished," Father said solemnly. _

_ "For what?" Mother scoffed.  "It's always been peaceful here." _

_ "They say that it's God's work." _

_ This only made my mother more skeptical.  "God has no reason to punish us.  There are no sinners in this town."  I heard her chair scrape across the floor as she got to her feet.  I hurried away from the door, heading downstairs. _

_ The shop was empty, save for Kirsten behind the counter.  She wore a pair of goggles, her dark hair tied back as she inspected the complicated innards of a radio. _

_ The bell on the door jingled as it opened and I turned to it.  Father Crowley stepped into the shop, a large bundle wrapped in paper under his arm.  He was whistling a jaunty tune.  At least someone in this town was in good spirits. _

_ I walked over to the clergyman.  "Good morning, Father Crowley," I said politely, but without feeling. _

_ "You don't sound as though you are having a good morning," Father Crowley replied.  I didn't know what to say, not accustomed to foisting my troubles on others, so I just shrugged.  "How can you look so glum on such a beautiful day?" _

_ I looked past him and out the rain-streaked windows.  The weather was still just as gray and just as wet as it was when I woke up.  I looked back up at him, raising one eyebrow.  I reminded myself that he was English, therefore unusual and to be pitied.  "Have you brought your radio with you today?" _

_ "Indeed, I have."  He set the paper package up on the counter. Kirsten scowled at it as it encroached on her workspace.  Her expression changed entirely as she looked up at Father Crowley.  "Could you take a look at this for me?" he asked her, his voice all funny and soft. _

_ As I watched, Kirsten's cheeks slowly grew red.  This was an expression I had never seen on my sister before, and it confused me utterly.  I studied the priest for a moment, trying to discern exactly what was so riveting about him.  He did stand out in our little community with his dark eyes and black hair, but I didn't see anything exceptional in his features.  Perhaps it was the way he looked at Kirsten with his piercing gaze, and spoke with his soft voice. _

_ Something clicked in my mind.  Ah... I thought, this is what Mother calls 'charm'. _

_ Kirsten turned her attention reluctantly to the radio as he unwrapped the rain-spotted paper.  Her professional interest soon took over.  "I don't think I've seen a radio this small before," she remarked.  The radio in question was slightly larger than a shoebox.  The smallest one we had in the shop was a tabletop model about the size of a lamp. _

_ "I bought it in London," Father Crowley said.  "It's the very latest model." _

_ Kirsten was already taking off the back.  "The insides are all familiar," she announced.  "I think I can sort the trouble." _

_ "Excellent."  The priest smiled broadly.  "I shall pick it up later today." _

_ My sister glanced at the radio she was already working on.  She smiled wide.  "All right then." _

_ "Hopefully you will have time for my sermon today," he said.  "I haven't seen your family in my church yet." _

_ I frowned at that. Father Murphy hadn't even been dead a month and he was calling it his church already.  "Today's Saturday, Father," I spoke up.  "We've only ever gone to church on Sundays."  In reality, we hardly ever went to church.  Father always said he didn't like wasting good working hours sitting in an uncomfortable seat and hearing all the different ways we were going to Hell.  That didn't mean we were against the church or God.  We prayed at home, and Father read to me and Alice from the Bible.  It was true that when we did go to church it was on a Sunday, with the exception of Christmas Mass. _

_ "Church is not just for Sundays."  Father Crowley turned to me.  "It is especially important in these troubling times that the community come together as a whole."  He brought his hands to his chest.  "Together, we are strong enough to face any adversity." _

_ "You are absolutely right,"  My father said from behind me.  I turned and looked at him in surprise.  "Now is the time more than ever for everyone to be united.  Dark, terrible things are being done, and it is through the strength of our faith that we will persevere through them." _

_ Father Crowley's lips pulled back across his teeth.  "So then I shall see you all there?" he asked. _

_ Father nodded. "We'll be there." _

_ I stared at Father Crowley.  There was something wrong with his smile.  If you could even call it a smile.  As I looked, I saw that he had sharp, wicked fangs.  I let out a piercing shriek, stepping backwards away from him.  I walked right into a shelf and fell to the floor. _

_ Mother was hurrying down the stairs, she saw me and was at my side at once.  "Katrina, what happened?"  Father, Kirsten, and Father Crowley were all looking at me strangely. _

_ I pointed at Father Crowley.  "Mother, he's-" I looked back at the priest, but I could not see his fangs.  He just looked at me quizzically, his face a perfect mask of innocence.  I looked back at my mother.  "He had fangs, Mother."  My voice quavered.  Tears filled my eyes. _

_ Mother put her arms around me and soothed me, whispering shushing noises in my ear.  "My apologies, Father Crowley." I heard my father say.  "Katrina has always had a very active imagination." _

_ "No apologies are necessary.  Who knows what stories have been passing over that child's head as of late. It's bound to make anyone jump at shadows.  All the more reason for a positive experience." _

_ "Quite right," Father agreed as he showed the priest to the door.  The bell jingled and he was gone. _

_ I peered over Mother's arm, up at Father.  He didn't look at me, and instead went to help Kirsten behind the counter.  He was ashamed of me because I had caused such a scene.  I bit my lip as more tears threatened. _

_ A faint crying sound came from upstairs.  Mother looked up.  "That will be Alice, woken by all the commotion." _

_ I sniffed hard.  "I'll be okay, Mother."  I pulled away from her gently.  "You tend to Alice." _

_ "If you’re sure."  Mother kissed my forehead and helped me to my feet.  Then she hurried up the stairs. _

_ Being in the shop with Father and Kirsten was unbearable, so I followed Mother upstairs.  I sat by the parlor window with the light off and looked down at the street.  I spied Father Crowley standing outside of his church, under the awning. He was talking to someone who was under an umbrella.  I watched as they talked for a few moments, then the rain picked up and the person with the umbrella left.  Then, Father Crowley looked up at me. _

_ I ducked quickly, then felt foolish.  How could he see me from so far away, and in the rain?  I peered back out the window. _

_ He stood on the steps of the church, hands in his pockets, watching the shop.  I could swear he was looking right at my window. I found him odd and frightening at the same time.  I remembered his fangs and shivered.  Rather than thinking I had imagined them, I was convinced that they were still there and he was just hiding them somehow. _

_ I don't like you, I thought.  Father Crowley smiled. _

_ I blinked, then rubbed my eyes.  I was up on the second floor, so maybe I hadn't seen him properly.  When I looked again though, he was turning and walking back into the church. _

  
  


_ ******** _

  
  


_ Mother put me in my nice dress for the sermon.  "Who holds Mass at night?" I complained irritably.  Mother had not heeded my pleas to stay behind.  I wanted nothing to do with Father Crowley or 'his' church. _

_ "Nighttime around here has become a dangerous time," Mother said softly.  "It should not be so for a small town like ours.  Night should be a time of peace and rest.  We're going to get that back tonight.  Father Crowley is going to help us do that." _

_ My frown furrowed my brows tight.  "Everyone seems to like Father Crowley a lot." I observed. _

_ Mother looked me in the eyes.  "You don't?"  I shook my head.  "Why not?"  I shrugged.  She patted my head as she stood up.  "It'll be fine, you'll see." _

_ Just as the five of us left the shop, the church tower bell began to toll.  Its deep gong blanketed my little village and sent a tremor into my heart.  I looked up at the sky and found the clouds that had hung overhead for so long were gone.  The moon was bright and full, and its light was unbearably cold. _

_ We joined a crowd forming across the street.  Seeing everyone all together, I realized then just how many people lived in our village.  There were even some people I didn't recognize. _

_ At the top of the steps, the two huge wooden doors of the church opened.  Father Crowley was at the left door and a young man I had never seen before was at the right.  He looked to be in his late teens and had black hair just like Father Crowley's.  I looked back and forth between the two of them and saw even more similarities.  They had to be related. _

_ The crowd filed inside and I was suddenly at the top of the stairs.  Father Crowley smiled down at me with his perfectly normal, straight teeth.  I narrowed my eyes at him before looking away.  I focused on the young man. _

_ He was thinner and much paler.  His cheekbones were more pronounced and his cheeks were sunken in a little.  His eyes were a glassy black and his stare was vacant.  Despite all that, I still found him sort of handsome.  My parents were chatting with Father Crowley, Kirsten staring at him raptly, so I introduced myself to the young man.  "My name is Katrina," I said boldly. _

_ "Lucifer."  The young man looked down at me, as if just discovering I was there.  My eyes widened a little and he smiled faintly.  "Just kidding." _

_ "-my brother, Alex." Father Crowley was saying to my parents, stepping up just now.  "He's been helping me in cleaning out the church.  Father Murphy was many things, but tidy was not one of them.”  He chuckled softly. _

_ Father laughed.  "I've sat in his parlor, so I know what you mean." _

_ Alex shook hands with my father, both of them nodding to each other in that mysterious way men do.  "You're Mister Riley, Sir?" _

_ Father looked mildly surprised.  "I see my fame precedes me," he said in good humor. _

_ "Gabriel has said much about you," Alex replied, the corner of his mouth lifting at some private joke. _

_ Father Crowley shot him a sharp glance.  He coughed in that polite way one does to draw attention to himself.  "We should begin soon." _

_ Alex nodded his head toward my father.  "I'll see you inside."  Then he turned and vanished into the church. _

_ Father Crowley was excusing himself when a small figure peered out from behind him.  It was a boy, a couple of years younger than I.  He tugged on Father Crowley's shirt.  "Father, I'm hungry," he said pitifully, not looking well at all.  His black hair was shiny with sweat.  His face was pale and drawn, and his movements were sluggish. _

_ Father Crowley turned immediately, kneeling down and placing his hands on the boy's shoulders.  He spoke softly, in a reassuring tone.  Unfortunately, his voice was too low for me to hear. _

_ The boy looked around Father Crowley at me.  I realized then that I was leaning towards them slightly in my attempts to overhear.  Father put a hand on my shoulder and steered me into the church.  I looked over my shoulder.  The boy was watching me intently, his eyes a strange dark red.  I looked ahead quickly, suppressing a shiver. _

_ Every pew was occupied and the hum of many people talking filled the church all the way up to the high ceiling.  I slipped my hand into my father's, nervous about getting lost in such a crowd.  We found an empty pew and shuffled in. _

_ As we sat down, the large doors closed.  They made a loud noise that echoed throughout the church.  Everyone quieted down and turned to the altar expectantly.  Father Crowley stepped up and started speaking to the congregation.  I didn't hear a word of it as Alice began to fuss at that exact moment. _

_ Mother tried to shush her without drawing too much attention.  Thankfully, everyone's eyes were focused on Father Crowley.  "What's the matter?" I whispered to Mother. _

_ Mother shook her head.  "I don't know, she won't calm down.  If this keeps up, she'll disturb everyone."  She tried bouncing Alice up and down lightly, but Alice continued to fuss. _

_ I held my hands out.  "Let me take her," I said.  "She looks tired.  I'll walk around with her for a bit."  Mother handed me Alice gratefully.  "Where's her blanket?" I asked. _

_ Mother looked around, then sighed.  "It must still be back at the shop." _

_ "I'll get it," I said, standing up. _

_ "Hurry back, it's dark out."  Mother reached her hands out to take Alice back. _

_ I didn't hand my sister back.  "It's only across the street, and I'll be able to walk Alice while I fetch it."  I smiled.  "She'll be asleep by the time I return." I promised. _

_ Mother had been half listening to Father Crowley.  She focused her full attention on his sermon now, her expression changing from concerned to calm.  "All right, be careful." _

_ Luckily, I was at the end of the pew, so it was easy for me to get into the aisle without disturbing anyone else.  Though from the look of everyone, I could have yelled 'Fire!' and they would not have turned away from Father Crowley. _

_ I looked over at him.  That man just might have too much charisma, to be able to mesmerize people in this way.  I guessed it made him a good priest. _

_ Alice tugged at my hair and I looked away from Father Crowley reluctantly.  She looked up at me with her blue eyes, tears brimming at the corners.  "Let's get you your blanket," I told her comfortingly. _

_ The large front doors of the church were closed tightly, and I didn't think I could open even one on my own, so I looked around for another exit.  Alice laid her head on my shoulder, enjoying the rhythm of my steps.  I went through a doorway, down a hallway, and soon found myself in a back room. I was not alone. _

_ The boy I had seen earlier was in this room, which appeared to be an office.  He sat in a large chair behind the desk, his feet not even touching the floor.  He swung them lazily until he saw me, then he stopped.  "I'm hungry," he told me, staring at me with his dark red eyes. _

_ I backed up quickly, feeling more than a little unsettled.  "Excuse me, sorry, wrong room."  I blinked and the boy was standing in front of me. He was shorter than me by several inches and had to look up at me. _

_ "I'm hungry." he repeated, his tone changing from pitiful to threatening.  His eyes glittered dangerously. _

_ I took another step back in alarm.  The boy lunged, reaching out for me and Alice.  The speed he had just a second earlier failed him now.  I sidestepped, dodging him easily.  He tripped and fell to the ground in the hall. _

_ He looked up at me and hissed, showing sharp fangs.  My eyes widened and I backed up even more.  I ran into someone, and looked up. _

_ Alex stood behind me, looking down at me.  "What's the rush, little one?"  He smiled. Then he caught sight of the boy.  "Lucien!"  He moved around me and was at the boy's side faster than my eyes could follow.  I took my opportunity and escaped. _

_ I hurried down another hallway, trying to figure out which way I had come.  Alice kept her head on my shoulder, staring at my face quietly. _

_ Questions buzzed around in my head.  What was wrong with that boy?  He had obviously been sick, but why the fangs?  Was he even human?  I had seen Father Crowley with fangs as well.  Was Father Crowley even human? _

_ I needed to get back to Mother and Father. _

_ I came to a corner, then stopped before turning.  I could hear footsteps coming toward me.  I looked around, and saw a door.  I opened it and hurried through, shutting it quickly behind me. _

_ I was outside.  I blinked in the sudden darkness as my eyes adjusted slowly.  I had come out behind the church.  There was a lot of land back here, I could see the cemetery in the distance.  Alice had slid down to my hip.  I hefted her up to my shoulder again.  That was when I heard the screams. _

_ They were muffled, coming from inside the church.  I immediately tried to go back inside, but the door I had come out of was locked.  I decided to go around to the front, and began sprinting across the lawn. _

_ As I neared the corner, a tall figure stepped around, blocking my way.  I skidded to a stop. My feet slipped on the wet grass and I fell on my backside.  The jolt frightened Alice, who began to cry. _

_ "What's going on!" I yelled in a panic.  "What are you?!" _

_ "Something you will never understand." I recognized Father Crowley's voice.  "We are monsters." _

_ I looked around.  There were more shadows on the lawn than there had been a moment before.  Inside the church the screams had stopped. _

_ Fear clutched at my heart and my throat, strangling both.  "W-why are you doing this?"  My voice came out quavering in fright. _

_ "It's very simple.  We hold no malice toward your kind." Father Crowley answered. "We're just hungry." _

_ I was only a child back then, confused and scared.  Things were happening too fast for me to cope.  I got to my feet with difficulty.  I lashed out in anger.  "You're the ones that murdered those people, and killed all those poor horses!" I shouted, tears in my eyes.  "You could have gone somewhere else!  Anywhere else!  Why did you come here?!" _

_ "Why not?" _

_ I glared up at him, clutching my baby sister in my arms.  Alice wailed on, her voice carrying over the church grounds, drawing the dark shadows nearer. _

_ Father Crowley's figure blocked out the moon, leaving a silver halo about his head that shrouded his face completely.  "Your parents are dead and you cannot escape.  Just quiet her down and come along." _

_ "No," I said, sticking out my chin stubbornly.  "I won't ever forget this.  One of these days I will kill you." _

_ "A little girl like you, talking of murder?" he whispered.  "I've just told you your parents were dead. Where are your tears?  Your despair?" _

_ The tears were there, just barely held back.  Adrenaline and fear kept the despair in check.  I continued to glare at him, not trusting myself to speak anymore. _

_ He laughed softly.  "Very well then."  He lifted one hand to his shadowed mouth.  He grunted softly, then reached out to me, his forefinger extended. Blood dripped from the tip. _

_ My body did not move, even though I was screaming internally at it.  Father Crowley pressed the tip of his finger to my forehead.  I felt him draw a small cross in his blood, then he drew away.  "The others will smell my blood on you, and they will not harm you unless they wish to challenge me.  You are now marked as mine." _

_ "What about Alice?" I demanded, caring nothing about his reasons for sparing me.  "Mark her too!" _

_ "No," he said in a dead voice.  The wind picked up then, stirring his long black coat. _

_ "Then kill me now!" I shouted.  My family, my village, was dead and dying.  The only thing I had left was Alice.  If she was to be taken from me as well, there was no point in being spared. _

_ "No."  His tone was final. _

_ "Then I'll do it myself."  I knelt down and sat Alice up on the grass.  Her crying petered out to a whimper as I took her face in both of my hands, gently forcing her to look away from Father Crowley, to face me.  I pressed my still wet forehead to hers, rolling our faces slightly, carefully copying the mark over.  I pulled away cautiously, hoping she wouldn't jerk or move and mess it up.  She remained still, looking up at me with her blue eyes, under a dark cross of blood on her brow. _

_ Father Crowley hissed.  It was a terrible sound, ten times more horrifying than the boy's had been.  I flinched and covered Alice with my body, squeezing my eyes closed tight.  I would protect her to the very end, even if my small body only gave her a few seconds of defense. _

_ When no attack came, I cautiously opened one eye, peering around.  Father Crowley was gone, as were the dark figures on the grounds.  Overhead, heavy clouds gathered, much more quickly than was natural.  They soon blocked out the cold light of the moon.  A deep mist crawled along the grass, and a light drizzle fell. _

_ Without waiting around to see what had happened, I scooped up Alice in my arms and ran.  I ran away from the church, but not into town.  I knew that they would be roaming the streets, looking for whomever had missed the sermon. _

_ I reached the cemetery, which appeared to be deserted.  While holding Alice, I pushed my shoulder hard against the heavy metal gate.  The door opened only a little, but enough for me to squeeze through. _

_ The smell of moss and damp soil filled my nose as I moved quickly among the large headstones.  Thunder rumbled overhead, dark and ominous.  I came upon a mausoleum and pushed at the stone door.  The light drizzling grew to a heavy downpour and Alice started crying again as rain ran down her face. _

_ The mausoleum was shut tight, so I gave up and moved to the next one.  Lightning flashed overhead, followed closely by a loud crash of thunder.  Alice shrieked, gripping her tiny fingers into my hair tight enough to hurt.  I managed to get the stone door opened.  I scurried in and shut it behind me. _

_ The sound of the thunder was muffled instantly by the thick walls of the stone crypt.  I sat on the floor, leaning my back against the cold, rough wall.  I began rocking Alice, making meaningless shushing noises with my mouth, praying that no one or no 'thing' heard her.  She eventually cried herself out and fell asleep on my shoulder. _

_ I sat on the hard floor, staring at the door.  My body ached too much from the fear, the running, and carrying my sister, that I wouldn't have been able to rest even in my own bed.  So I sat there without moving, surrounded by the dead, and I watched that door all night. _

_ Hours dragged on, but I knew not how many.  After an eternity, Alice woke, crying weakly for food. _

_ I got to my feet, my muscles screaming in pain and weariness, though some were numb and cramped.  I pulled the door open slowly with what little strength I had left.  As the door cracked open, sunlight streamed in. _

_ Alice and I blinked, our eyes dazzled by the light.  Warm air kissed our cold and clammy skin.  With new strength I pulled the door open and stepped out into the sunlight. _

_ Our rainy and cold spring was over. Summer was here.  Though my body felt relief in the warmth, it could not penetrate my heart.  I took Alice back into town, heading straight home while avoiding looking at the church as little as possible.  The streets were deserted, empty of anything living. _

_ I changed and fed Alice, then myself.  Afterward, I tore up an old curtain and fashioned a sling out of it.  I wrapped it around Alice, then I tied her to my back.  This left my hands free for what lay ahead.  I hesitated and waited until Alice napped on my back before entering the church. _

_ I don't remember what happened next anymore.  I no longer recall the horror I found inside of that church.  My mind has long since buried the images of my parents, my sister, my friends and neighbors, all massacred. _

_ The next thing I remember clearly was when they found me, days later.  I was behind the church, digging graves.  I had filled the cemetery, leaving stone and wooden markers instead of headstones.  Some had names scratched into them.  Those were the graves for the people who were still together enough to be recognized. _

_ Alice was strapped to my back, and at first they did not believe that she was alive.  She had become still and quiet over the days out in the sun.  I was half alive myself, more concerned with digging graves and feeding Alice than my own well-being. _

_ They were from the next town.  No one had heard from my little village in days, and some had come looking.  I hadn't been able to phone anyone myself because, back then, phones routed to an operator and I hadn't reached Lucielle Byrne's body yet.  That I was aware of. _

_ They took Alice and I that day, though I tried to fight them.  My mind was fevered and I wasn't rational, wanting only to finish the job I had started.  It was after they took Alice away from me that I went with them.  We were both taken to an orphanage, where we were eventually split up. _

_ I didn't put up a fight when Alice was adopted before me.  I had realized by that time that she was better off without me.  Something inside of me had been broken, and it showed to all who met me.  Alice had a chance to live a happy and normal life, never remembering what had happened to her parents.  I let her have that chance, while I devoted myself to other pursuits.  I would hunt the dark things that had slain my entire village, for myself and for my sister. _

 


	14. Blizzard's Wrath

I closed the diary slowly and slid it over to the nightstand.  Looking around, everything seemed so unreal. I had been so caught up in Great Aunt Katrina's world that my own seemed to be the far off dream.

Katrina Riley had always been the eccentric one in my family.  'Eccentric' was what my mother called her, everyone else used words like 'paranoid' and 'insane'.  Katrina never went to any family get-togethers and she didn't keep up on family matters.  She had never really been part of the family at all. I had known of her since I was a child, so at one point she did re-connect with Nana Alice.  I thought of my grandmother, white haired and cheerful, spending her retirement in Puerto Rico with her husband.  It was hard to think of her as a golden-curled baby being protected by her older sister from vampires.

Both sisters had aged tremendously.  Katrina was dead and buried, and Nana only had a few years left in her.  Gabriel Crowley, on the other hand, had stayed the same. Strong, whole, and young.  He stayed that way because of what he had done, murdered whole villages for blood.  It was his fault that Katrina had been the black sheep in my family, that she suffered through so much pain.

Even after her death, her paranoia was evident in the bullet-proof windows, the fully stocked pantry in the basement, and the elaborate locks with all the keys I needed just to get around. There was also the gym and the elaborate entertainment center. She never needed to leave the house.

One thing that seemed odd were her friends; Steven, Cass, and Ricky.  Young people, all who had spent much time here with Great Aunt Katrina.  All three had loved and respected her a great deal, if their attitudes about her were any indication.  Perhaps in her old age she had become lonely.  I could see that, but... she did have a vampire in her attic. I didn't think she would expose anyone to that kind of threat.

I thought about how Steven had just showed up in my kitchen unannounced. And how Cass had been so eager to show me everything about caring for the house.  Perhaps under that kind of onslaught, she had had little choice about having them over.

Katrina had wasted her life hunting Gabriel down, and all for what?  She never married, never had kids.  Her only friends were a few teenagers who cut across her property.  Now she was dead and gone, and Gabriel was walking around complaining about his clothes. If he had just killed her when she was a child, she wouldn’t have suffered so much.  On the other hand, Mom, Chris, and I wouldn’t be here today if he had.  Did I owe him my life, just as Katrina owed him hers?

Was that why she locked him up in the attic instead of killing him?  She could have saved herself a lot of grief by just disposing of him.  Fifty years ago she still had time to reconnect with Alice, with her family.  Why hadn’t she?

I peered at the diary.  The answer would be there, but I felt I had read as much as I could take for now.  I needed to clear my head and focus on the present, before I drowned in the past.

  
  


********

  
  


_I inspected the living room with great care.  The goons that Nora sent had made a mess of it, mostly because I had thrown them into everything.  The corners of my mouth turned up at the memory._

_That small elation didn't last long, however.  There was a small thought, a tiny annoyance, that had buzzed around in my head since the fight at the cemetery.  Nora knew how powerful I was, so why was she sending weaklings after me? It couldn't be that she was underestimating me, thinking me weak from being imprisoned so long.  From what Lucien could gather, Nora didn't even know I had been imprisoned.  So why send the grunts after me, literal lambs into the jaws of the lion?  There had to be a fiendishly cunning reason for it; I had known Nora long enough to expect nothing less..._

_Not wanting to dwell, my focused returned to the living room.  It was repaired and the chimney was once again in working order.  The new television had been delivered and was hanging up to the left of where the previous one had been.  The carpet had been professionally cleaned until there was not even a trace of blood left. The new window was so clear you couldn't even tell it was there._

_Everything was just so... perfect._

_I took a moment to soak in this peaceful feeling.  It was a rare feeling for me and I wanted to savor it. Still, call it my own pessimism, but I felt there was something out of place with this scene.  Something was missing..._

_I looked around and spied the small box on the counter.  That's right, I forgot to open the remote control for the television.  I hurried to correct this oversight at once._

_Evangeline chose that moment to descend the stairs.  She spotted the remote in my hand, walked right over and took it from me.  "Excuse me?" I said, injecting just the right amount of menace into my voice._

_"Thanks," she said gruffly without even looking at me.  Then she walked over to the new couch and plopped herself down on it._

_"I wanted to be the first one to sit on the new couch." I pointed out to her in what I felt was a reasonable growl._

_"Sometimes we don’t get what we want," she said, still without looking at me.  She lifted the remote control and turned on the television without another word._

_It seemed that Evangeline had discovered whole new depths of being irritating while in her room.  I prowled over to the couch, resting my palms on the back.  "I bought it, and the new television, so it's only fair that I be the first to use them."  I kept my voice calm and slow._

_"Technically you used Great Aunt Katrina's bank account," Evangeline said shortly, not taking her eyes off of the television screen._

_I was trying to be reasonable; not even Lucien could fault my manners.  After all, I_ did _owe Evangeline some small courtesy after she had helped me.  I should have known right away she would abuse my generosity.  "Technically," I said the word in a precise manner.  "that account was created using my fortune."_

_She shrugged and put the volume on the television louder.  My hands gripped the back of the couch, my claws sinking into the white leather, in danger of tearing it.  But no... I could be the bigger man.  I wouldn't fly off the handle just because this little girl lacked grace and respect._

_I walked around the couch and sat down next to her, laying my right arm across the back of the couch.  "So, what are we watching?" I asked coolly._

_Again without even looking at me, Evangeline slid herself down to the other end of the couch.  I inspected her profile from the corner of my eye.  Her face showed incredible tension, though she was trying to put forth a calm attitude.  I could have asked her what was wrong, if I cared enough.  Asking would most likely unleash a torrent of whining and self pity that I didn't have the patience for nor interest in.  I just wanted her to stop taking whatever it was out on me._

_Evangeline had turned on a movie and my attention returned to the screen.  It was dark, set in a deep forest.  The protagonists seemed to be running from a large, hairy monster.  As I watched, I started enjoying myself, though probably not in the way the director had intended for his audience._

_I snickered aloud and Evangeline's eyes flickered in my direction.  "Have something against werewolves?"_

_I stifled a full laugh with my fist, shaking my head.  "There's no such thing as werewolves."_

_She frowned.  "Oh."_

_"Is that disappointment I hear?"_

_She shrugged.  "I was just thinking anything would be better than vampires."  My eyes narrowed at that.  "The vampires in this movie are lame and gimmicky anyway.  I guess art imitates life."_

_Her attempts at insult were feeble at best, but I knew I needed to put her in her place before she thought she’d won some kind of mental game.  "There's no such thing as werewolves because they're all just vampires."_

_She arched a dark brow at me. "Oh? Do you get all hairy under the full moon, too?"_

_"Is that a joke?  Amusing.  That's not how it works."_

_She turned away from the television, folding her hands in her lap.  "Then tell me how it works."_

_"A human being is a soft creature. Mentally," I explained.  Her expression darkened and I continued with relish.  "It's easy to make them see what we want them to see."_

_"So... werewolves are just vampire mind tricks?"_

_I leaned in a little closer, dropping my voice.  "Except the fangs and claws are real."_

_"Is that where the myth about silver bullets killing werewolves came from?"_

“ _Perhaps."_

_"What about wooden stakes through the heart?  Do those kill vampires?"_

_I regarded her suspiciously.  "Why do you want to know?"_

_"It might be useful to know in case I get attacked again."_

_"And here I was worried you were going to kill me in my sleep."  I gave her a sly smile._

_She frowned thoughtfully, staring into space.  "No, I couldn't do it when I had the opportunity."  She turned back toward the TV, but instead of watching the movie, she just bowed her head and stared at her folded hands.  The air changed and I could smell a heavy sadness rolling off of her.  I couldn't decide if this was better or worse than her earlier mood..._

_As long as she was quiet, it was of no concern.  I turned back to the movie._

_It turns out that I'm not good at ignoring Evangeline.  Almost anyone else in the world, even my own sons, I could block out of my mind. And yet I was fundamentally aware of Evangeline no matter what I tried to distract myself with.  Her scent, tinged with sadness, was in my nose.  The sound of her breathing, slow and rhythmic, filled my ears.  I could feel the slight movements she made, that everyone makes when they think they’re not moving, echoing through the couch._

_Was it because she looked so much like Katrina, particularly at this moment?  Despite her lackluster hair and dull brown eyes, she had the same weariness that I had always seen and exploited in Katrina.  I couldn't shut her out of my mind because that would mean lowering my guard.  Katrina had been far too dangerous to drop my guard around.  I would never have found myself sitting down with her in a casual setting like this; it would have been the last thing I ever did._

_So here I was sitting next to a girl who wouldn't be able to kill a cockroach unassisted, with my instincts keeping my body on edge in case she sprang and attacked me.  I was glad Lucien wasn't here to see me reacting so foolishly._

_The doorbell rang and I jumped to my feet, halfway to the door before the chime ended.  "Thank God, I was going to stake myself if I had to spend another minute being nice to you."_

_"You were being nice?" she asked._

_"You couldn't tell?"_

_She shook her head. "It's that hard, isn't it?" she asked sadly.  "Acting human."_

_I turned, walking backward the rest of the way to the door.  "With you?  You have no idea."_

_I pulled the keys out of my pocket and unlocked the door.  Evangeline's acquaintance stood on the porch.  The one with the glasses whom I had tasked with repairing the portable computer.  I hadn't asked his name. He had a wrapped bundle under his arm and look both disappointed and annoyed that I was the one at the door.  "I fixed the laptop."  He held up the package.  "It started raining and I wanted to make sure it didn't get wet."  His blond hair was damp and his glasses were spotted with water._

_I looked past him, up at the clouds.  They were dark and heavy with moisture.  A chill wind blew, sending a finger of ice down my back.  If the temperature dropped just a few more degrees, it would be sleet that came down._

_"Do come in."  I stepped aside quickly, not liking the feel of that storm one bit._

_The boy was reluctant to enter.  He wavered for a second, then turned his expression aloof and walked past me.  "Might as well check to make sure it didn’t get soaked," he muttered._

_Thunder rumbled overhead in warning.  There was no lightning, so perhaps it just_ felt _like a warning._

_Regardless, I never, ever trusted storms._

  
  


********

  
  


I was so glad to see Steven.  Geeky, sometimes snarky, but still completely normal.  It had only been about a week since I had met the vampire, but I craved the sight of someone normal the way a flower craves sunlight in a dark room.  I got up immediately and joined him in the kitchen.

He unwrapped the laptop, opened it up, and looked at me while it booted.  I gave him a grateful look.  "Looks pretty bad around here," he muttered.

From the door, Gabriel answered him.  "As long as the lightning stays back."

I lowered my voice.  "He can be... difficult to be around," I said carefully.

The vampire closed the door.  I would have to get my keys from him later.  I must have left them in the bathroom after I had helped him.  A wave of nausea washed over me.  I had helped that... that monster.

Steven's brows pushed together in concern.  "Are you feeling okay?  You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

"It feels like it's been years," I admitted.  “What I do get isn’t so much sleep as it is unconsciousness.”  I had read in one of my library books that vampires were able to draw the life force of those around them.  It had been used in the old days as a way to detect if a vampire inhabited a particular town.  If everyone was tired all the time, you had a vampire.  Or a witch.

Gabriel walked through the kitchen, heading for the living room.  "It works," Steven told him as he passed, but he ignored him.  Steven closed the laptop with a snap.  "Well, I'm gone."

"We were watching a movie," I told him, not wanting him to leave yet.  "You could join us."

Steven saw the pleading look on my face and looked guilty.  "Sorry, it's late and I have to get back to my Gran.  If I don't help her to bed, she'll just stay in front of the TV all night."

"I don't think anyone is going anywhere," Gabriel said ominously from the living room.

Panic rose in my chest at his tone.  I reached under my sweater for the gun tucked in the back of my jeans.  Steven looked into the living room and groaned.  "Is that snow?  Seriously?"  He walked into the living room to get a better look out the window.

I took a moment to compose myself, making sure to pull my sweater back down as I joined them in the living room.  It was indeed snowing, and heavily.  The fat white flakes were piled up two feet against the window.  "That's a blizzard," I commented unnecessarily.

"Never, ever trust a storm! They're always out to get you."  Gabriel was at the large window, his eyes scanning the clouds.

"Does he think he's being funny?" Steven asked me.

"I wish he was," I sighed wearily, then turned to Gabriel.  "Nora?"

"She's here."  His mouth became a thin line, and his eyes turned a deeper red.

I wanted to groan and bang my head against the counter a few times.  Instead, I retrieved the silver glove from my pocket and pulled it on.  "Steven, you should go upstairs for a bit," I said, not looking at him.

"Okay, this situation is getting weird.  What's going on with you two?" Steven asked.  "Why do I suddenly feeling like I'm in a car going top speed toward a brick wall?"

Gabriel looked thoughtful.  "That's a good analogy, actually."

"Who is Nora?"  He regarded the two of us as a teacher would if they suspected one of their students was misbehaving, but wasn't sure which one.

Gabriel turned to him.  "You know your worst nightmare?" he asked, walking over to the middle of the living room.  "The one thing on this earth that scares you out of your wits.  The thing that makes you hide under the covers no matter how old you get?"

Steven's eyes flickered to one side uneasily, then looked back.

Gabriel stepped up to him, quite close, and lowered his voice to a whisper.  "Nora is what your nightmare has nightmares about."

"Y-you're putting me on," Steven said, staring at Gabriel's dark red eyes as if he couldn't look away.  He cleared his throat.

There was no point trying to pull the wool over his eyes.  Any second now we would be attacked, and if he didn't know what to expect he would only die that much quicker.  "Nora's a vampire."  I pulled out the silver gun, keeping it pointed at the floor while I checked the clip and sight.

"A vampire?" Steven managed to turn away from Gabriel's gaze and look at me.  He saw the gun and the color drained from his face.

I felt bad for doing this to him.  "You really should hide upstairs, things are going to get ugly in a few minutes."  I glanced at the window, the snow had piled up even higher.

Steven held up both hands.  "Wait just a second here."  His voice rose.  "You're honestly expecting me to believe that not only do vampires exists, but one is coming right now to get us. Oh, and somehow, she's making it snow?"

"Yes," Gabriel answered.  "I am a vampire as well."

Steven backed up a step.  "Okay, this isn't funny."  He headed for the door.  "I'm getting out of here, blizzard or not."

Gabriel grabbed his arm and turned him around.  "You don't believe me?" he asked dangerously.

"Well, where are your fangs?"

Gabriel hooked one finger into the corner of his mouth and pulled back, showing off a razor sharp canine.  Steven leaned closer and peered at it, not something I would have done with an agitated vampire.  "Aw, you could have had them filed down."  He pushed his glasses up his nose.  "Plus, you have a reflection. I saw it in the window."

"I could drink your blood right now. Would that convince you?" Gabriel asked testily.

"Yeah, well, with chompers like those you could do some damage, but that doesn't prove that you're not human."  He tried to keep his expression firm, but I could see his hands were starting to shake.  His glasses slipped back down his nose.  "It would only prove you're deranged."

Gabriel drew in a breath that rumbled in his chest like a growl.  Before he could let his frustration out on Steven, I decided to step in.  "He was what Great Aunt Katrina was hiding in the attic."

Steven looked over at me.  "Come on, Angie..."  His voice was pleading.

I shrugged.  "I'm telling the truth.  He was up there.  In a coffin tied up in silver and everything."

He sighed, as if the whole world had gone mad on him, but not as if it was the first time.  "All right, I believe you," he said to Gabriel.  He gave the vampire a long, steady look over his glasses.  Gabriel released him. Steven straightened out his rumpled sleeve.  "For now.  What happens next?"

From overhead there came a loud, resounding crash.  Steven and I ducked as the whole house shook.  The lights flickered.  "What the hell was that?!" I shouted once the noise finally stopped.

Gabriel had remained standing, looking up at the ceiling.  The house shaking hadn’t affected him.  "That would be... the glass roof caving in."

"I thought the roof was indestructible," I said in surprise, getting to my feet shakily.

"It's true that I couldn't break out," Gabriel answered.  "The glass is strong, but I don't think the framework could support the weight of all that snow."  He looked over at the window, the snow was now piled up six feet.  "That's just what's fallen off the roof, there’s more upstairs."  There was something like awe in his voice.

"So, is she trying to bury us?  Or just make a grand entrance?"

"I don't know yet. Both?"

"Great."  I hurried over to Steven and helped him to his feet.  "How are you holding up?"

"I'm not. I will admit right now that I'm a bit scared."  His face was white and he trembled.

"Come on, let's get you into the basement.  You might be safe there."  I opened the closet door, then the door behind it.

"So... vampires."  Steven attempted to sound casual, but failed miserably. "I never heard about them controlling the weather."

"As far as I know, that's just Nora." I told him.  We walked through the pantry area to the room in the back.

"So, if you've been living with a vampire all week.  How come you're still alive?  How come I'm still alive?  Wouldn't a vampire just have killed us?"

"Well, somehow I'm supposed to protect Gabriel from Nora.  So, he can't kill me yet.”

Steven's eyebrows shot up.  "You're supposed to protect him from _that_?"  He pointed up.  I nodded.  "How?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"Okay, then why am I still alive?"

"He needed you to fix his laptop."

Steven's expression turned blank.  "Oh, well I guess that makes sense..."

I gave him a sympathetic look.  "I'm going to close this door, you stay down here no matter what you hear, okay?"

"You're going back up there?"

"I have to," I said, and shut the door.  If I were honest with myself I knew it didn't make a difference whether I stayed upstairs and fought, or if I hid in the basement. I would probably die either way. I would just feel better about dying while trying to fight.

I entered the kitchen and closed both doors behind me.  I walked over to Gabriel.  He was in the kitchen, standing stock still.  His body was tense, waiting and straining for any sign of movement from upstairs.

I gripped my gun tightly.  "In case we don't get out of this alive..." I began.  "I just wanted you to know something."

He looked at me.  His expression tight and expectant.  "What?"

"I still don’t know why Great Aunt Katrina didn’t kill you all those years ago.  Maybe she had a cunning plan that would wipe out all vampires.  Maybe she really was batshit insane.  Maybe she just couldn’t let go.”  I kept my eyes on my gun.  “I’m not Katrina.  I’m caught up in all this against my will.  Before I met you, I thought I knew what being truly frightened was all about. I was wrong.  There’s only one thing I can be sure of in this world right now.”  I lifted my eyes up to his and gave him a long look.  “I really, _truly_ hate you."

He nodded.  "Noted."  He looked back up to the ceiling, scrutinizing it as if trying to see through it.  I doubted he could, at least I hoped he couldn’t.  "And yet you are risking your pathetic little life to help me..."

"Not by choice." I said grimly.  "I don't care what David says, there's nothing I can do to save you from Nora.  I'm just hoping to get out of this alive, and you're my best bet.  If I see an opportunity to throw you to the wolves, I won't hesitate."

"You won't have that opportunity," he said.  "I'll get the both of us out of this."

"Really? How?"

He raised one hand up, silencing me, his eyes on the stairs.

After a moment, I heard steps.  I raised my gun, aiming it at the staircase.  Two sets of slim legs descended, belonging to a pair of twin vampires.  Even though I feared for my life, I was still struck by how beautiful they looked, with their curled blond hair and wide, bright blue eyes.

"Evangeline, this is Calypso and Callisto," Gabriel introduced them to me.  "They work for Nora."


	15. What Is and Is Not Meant to Be

Callisto smiled a wide, wicked smile, marring her beautiful face.  "I see you have company.  Were we interrupting something?"

"Of course not. We were waiting for you," Gabriel replied smoothly.  He had his hands in his pockets again, a sure sign that he was tense.

I studied the twins while the situation was still calm.  Callisto was pure malevolence, plain and simple.  Every subtle movement telegraphed ill intent.  On the other hand, Calypso was scared out of her wits.  She stood tall next to her sister, but she trembled worse than Steven had.  She held onto her sister's hand tightly.

Callisto appraised Gabriel openly, ignoring me as she did.  "What makes you so special?" she asked, her voice taking on a hard edge.

"My winning personality and devilish good looks?" he offered. He never missed a beat.

Callisto's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.  "I'm trying to see why Nora bothered sending us here.  I'm failing though, as there doesn't seem to be anything of interest."

"Ah, but that's Nora's way." His voice was gentle, but mocking.  "She rarely gets her own hands dirty, not when she has such a great gift of attracting others to do her bidding for her."  He removed his hands from his pockets and gave the pair a mocking shrug.  "And it's not like you're just going to ask her what she's up to.  Nora’s not going to spill her evil schemes to the house pets."

Callisto's pulled her lips back over her fangs and hissed like a cat. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. The next second she threw herself over the counter dividing the living room and kitchen.  I dove to the side, away from Gabriel, whom she tackled to the floor.  She had one hand on his throat, her long red nails digging into his skin.  She slapped him hard with her free hand repeatedly, scratching his face in the process.

I decided to let Gabriel handle himself for the moment.  I turned to the other twin, pulling my gun as I did.  She flinched when she saw the weapon.  "I don't want to fight you," she said.  “I don’t want to die.”

I wasn't falling for anything at this point.  "Then why the hell are you here?" I demanded.

Behind me, Callisto and Gabriel continued struggling.  "Evangeline," he gasped, his voice restricted as Callisto crushed his windpipe.  "A little assistance, please..."

I turned and opened fire on Callisto.  Their struggle was so intense that I missed my first two shots.  The third grazed Gabriel's arm.  "Evangeline," he rasped, one hand keeping Callisto's away from his face, the other trying to pry her from his throat. "Stop assisting."

I ignored him as I aimed carefully. I fired again, this time hitting Callisto square in the back. I had been aiming for her head, but it was close enough.  The silver bullet had no effect on her.  She didn't even seem to notice it.  Gabriel managed to swear loudly, even with his throat being crushed.  I fired at her again.  This time the bullet grazed her cheek, then embedded itself into the floor about an inch from Gabriel's head.

Callisto hissed in pain as the scratch on her cheek smoked.  So she wasn’t immune to silver after all.  Her grip on Gabriel weakened and he finally managed to throw her off of him.  She recovered as they both regained their feet.  She aimed a kick in the middle of Gabriel's stomach, sending him flying into the vestibule.  There was a loud _thud!_ as he hit the thick iron door. Callisto spared me just enough attention to pick up one of the heavy wooden chairs one-handed and hurl it right at me.  I dove over the counter.  The chair hit the cabinets at the same time as I hit the floor.  Wood shattered into splinters, raining down on me as I covered my head with my arms.

I felt a light touch on my arm and looked up.  "Are you alright?" Calypso asked in concern.  She was kneeling over me.

I couldn't even begin to puzzle over what this vampire was trying to pull.  "Shouldn't you be worried about your sister?"

"There's no need to worry about her anymore," she said as she stood up and nudged my fallen gun with her shoe.

I grabbed it.  "You don't have any sense of self preservation, do you?" I asked as I stood up and checked the clip.

"I don’t want to die here," she answered.

Meanwhile, Callisto followed Gabriel into the vestibule.  There was a sickening crunch followed by a deep groan.  Gabriel flew into the kitchen, landing on his back and sliding into the living room.  He managed to stand up, but his left leg wouldn't hold his weight.  It was broken at the hip and he was forced to lean hard to his right just to keep his balance. Callisto kept up her attack as she launched herself across the kitchen.  She kicked Gabriel hard in the side, sending him back to the floor.  There was another crack that told me his arm was broken now as well.

It was at that moment that I lost my marbles.  Nothing but complete and sudden insanity could explain why I did what I did that next moment.

"Hey!" I shouted, pulling up my gun.  "Lay off of jerkface!"

As Callisto turned toward me, I opened fire on her.  I fired three bullets into her chest with no effect.  I sidestepped as she came after me, still shooting.  A few of my shots scored glancing hits on her arms.  Those had some effect, as she hissed in pain.  She raised her arm, fast as lightning, and knocked me to the floor with great force.  My gun fell from my hand.

She was on top of me in a flash, her face bare inches from mine.  She closed her hand around my wrist and pinned it to the floor, keeping my silver glove away.  Her other hand was at my throat, squeezing tight.  My breaths became shallow as panic set in.  I clawed at her hand with my free one, but it was no use.

Her wide smile returned in her triumph while I tried to feel around on the floor for my gun.  Where had the damn thing gone?  It couldn't have fallen far.  "I would have left you alone, you little vermin," she spat.  "but you had to get in the way, and for what?"

"I had to," I gasped, trying to draw in enough air to speak.  "I'm supposed to protect him."  Katrina had kept him in storage for some reason, I thought hazily. If she hadn't pressed Gabriel’s blood on my grandmother’s forehead, I wouldn't have been born.  I owed her my existence more than I did to Gabriel.  It was funny what thoughts occur to people just when they were about to die...

Callisto took a moment to gloat over her prey.  "You actually think you can protect him?"  She laughed to herself.  "We can't go against Nora, so what makes you believe someone as weak as you could?"  Without showing any effort, her hand squeezed my throat tighter.  My breath burned in my lungs and I gaped, my free hand clawing at the floor weakly before dropping.  Red tinged my vision and her grinning face blurred.

"She makes a good distraction at least," a strained voice said from far away.  There was a deafening bang and a heavy weight dropped onto my chest.

As Callisto's grip on my throat loosened, I filled my lungs in great, gulping gasps.  The red receded from my vision and I struggled to sit up, coughing through my injured throat.  Callisto slid to the side, lifeless and cold. She had been shot in the back of the head.  Her glassy eyes were frozen in shock.  I scrambled out from under her.

Gabriel stood over me, leaning heavily on the counter.  His broken arm hung limply from his shoulder.  In his other hand he held the silver gun.  A flowery dish towel was wrapped around the grip.  "You saved my life," I gasped hoarsely in disbelief. I massaged my poor throat with my hands.

"Good. We're even," he said grimly.

"We were keeping score?" I looked around.  "Where's the other one?" I asked anxiously, looking for Calypso.

"Just about to take care of her."  He turned and began to drag himself toward the living room.

My legs were shaky, but I got up and followed him.  The other twin sat on the living room floor, her legs under her and her hands folded in her lap.  Her eyes were shut and her body trembled.  She whimpered as Gabriel stepped over to her and aimed the gun at her head.

She didn’t try to fight him, or even move out of the way.  I stepped forward, grabbing the gun.  Moving him would be like trying to move a building with my bare hands, but I tried.

"Gabriel, don't.  She's frightened out of her wits."  My voice was rough, and pain lanced down my throat with each word. He made a contemptuous noise in his throat and handed over the gun, not possessing the energy to argue with me.  He lurched to one side suddenly and I caught him.  "You shouldn't be standing on that leg," I rasped.  "You need first aid."

He shrugged away from me.  "I need something better than first aid."  He turned back to the kitchen.  "If the other one even blinks funny, shoot her.  I have a few questions to ask her in a moment."  With great difficulty, he knelt down beside Callisto.  With his good hand he gripped her by the hair, lifting her head up.  I turned away, not wanting to watch what came next.

Calypso didn’t move from where she sat. Her whole body was braced, preparing for the worst.

I knelt down in front of her.  I wasn't being completely stupid though; I kept the silver gun gripped in my hand.  She paid me no attention, instead she whispered to herself.  I leaned closer to hear.  "Have to kill me, too. Have to."

"We're not going to kill you," I told her as gently as I was able, though I was pretty sure Gabriel had other ideas.

She opened her eyes, looking into mine.  "He was supposed to kill Callisto.  He's supposed to kill me, too."

I frowned in confusion.  "What do you mean he's 'supposed' to?"

Her expression turned earnest.  "That's why we were sent here.  That's why she sent all of us.  We're not meant to survive him.  I know because I can see it; her plan is all laid out.  There’s nothing any of us can do to escape it.”  She closed her eyes again in anguish.  “Callisto didn’t listen to me.  Your shot was supposed to kill her, but I made her wear the vest.  She died anyway.  No matter what I do, I can’t change it.”

My head was starting to buzz with all the confusion that it had been subjected to.  "Wait a minute, why would Nora send all these vampires after Gabriel without any intention of having them win? Are you saying that she knew he was going to kill them?"

Her bright blue eyes shifted over to Gabriel.  “She feeds us her blood before she sends us out.  She knows that he’ll drink it.”

“I'm going to guess that that’s not a good thing.”  My eyes followed her gaze, then I stood up.  I walked over to Gabriel reluctantly, knowing what I was about to do next was a bad idea.

I tried not to look directly at him as he fed.  I didn't think I would be able to keep my stomach if I did.  The sound alone made it quiver.  "Gabriel, you have to stop.  Nora's doing this on purpose.  She wants you to feed on her... minions."

He raised his head, dropping Callisto to the floor.  I couldn't help it, my eyes went to his face.  What I saw there horrified me like nothing else I had seen that day.

His eyes were a bright red and his fangs were stained with blood.  He hissed and sprang at me.  His leg and arm were healed and he was able to knock me to the floor with ease.  I landed on my back, my head cracking against the wooden floorboards.  The gun flew out of my hand.  Again. I wished fervently that I hadn't taken it off it's chain, which was tied to my jeans.

He held me down with one hand on my collarbone.  His eyes were wild with blood frenzy.  "This time..." he hissed,  "I will have your blood, Katrina."

My stomach clenched in terror.  He didn't know who I was.  He was going to kill me, thinking I was my great aunt.  "Gabriel," I squeaked,  "Please, don't..."

He was beyond reasoning with.  He gripped my hair tightly, pulling my head back.  With the tenderness of a lover, I felt his lips on my neck, then his teeth scraping my skin.

He was off of me the next instant, hurtling into the kitchen.  He fetched up roughly against the heavy table.  I blinked up at Calypso, who was standing over me.  She held the remains of a wrought iron lamp stand in both hands.  It was badly bent from the force she had used to hit Gabriel.

"T-thank you." I was stunned.  This was the second surprise rescue I've had in the last half hour.  I briefly wondered if I were doomed to constantly being rescued just in the nick of time.  It was a bad trend to get into.

Calypso dropped the lamp stand hastily.  It clattered on the floor.  "I'm sorry," she said, "but he's not supposed to kill you yet."  She held one hand out to me.

"No apologies necessary." I took her hand.  I was on my feet the next second, holding the back of my head with my hand.

"He should be fine now.  Excuse me," she said softly.  She walked over to her sister's body and sat down on the kitchen floor next to her.  She put a hand on Callisto's hair, her eyes ringed with red.  She pulled her sister's head into her lap and stroked her hair, crying but with no tears.

Gabriel groaned as he sat up.  "Did someone catch the number of that bus?"

I knelt down in front of him, relieved to see that his eyes were back to their normal reddish brown.  "You tried to kill me."

He studied me for a moment.  "Oh okay.  That's all right then."  We got to our feet.  "Why is it that you're still alive?"

"She saved me."  I pointed at Calypso, who was still holding onto her sister.  "She hit you with the lamp stand."

Gabriel looked at the warped piece of iron.  "Interesting."

"Is it?"

"I don't remember any of that."

"You thought I was Katrina.  Again," I said helpfully. Maybe I could get an apology out of him.

He looked back at me sharply.  "That's absurd.  You're nothing like her."

"I know that," I said patiently.

"The two of you might look vaguely similar, under certain lighting," he went on,  "but Katrina is a much better fighter than you are, and much more attractive, and don't get me started on intelligence..."

"Okay!" I said loudly.  I should have known. "Moving on.  What do we do now?"

He paused in his long-winded ranting.  "What do you mean?"

"I mean: Nora!  Isn't she right outside?  She's going to realize pretty soon, if she hasn't already, that things aren't going according to plan."  I saw realization dawn in his eyes, mixed with the beginnings of fear.

"No, everything is going to plan," Calypso said.  We both turned to her as she placed her sister back on the floor.  She stood up and looked at us, a haunted expression on her face.  "We weren't meant to win," she said,  “We were just toys in the end.  Gifts.”

Gabriel stared her, trying to puzzle out the implications of what she was saying.  "Nora wants me dead," he said,  "She hates me for leaving her."

“Nora needs you. She always has.  You don't remember anything from before, do you?  You don't remember why you left."

"I don't remember how I got locked in a stone box for fifty years," he said bitterly.

"I can’t answer that, all I know is that you came here willingly.”

"I think you've said enough, Callie," a small voice said from the stairs.  Everyone turned at once toward a small girl standing halfway up the steps.  She had long, straight brown hair that fell past her waist, and startling jade eyes.  Her small mouth was twisted into a frown.

Though my eyes were riveted on the little girl, I could still feel Calypso grow still.  "Nora, I-"

"That's enough."  The girl's eyes brightened, a raw energy sparking just behind them.  The iron lamp stand on the floor moved. It dragged across the floor a few inches before whipping through the air toward the little girl.  She caught the stand deftly, holding it at her side like a spear.  Even though it was bigger than she was, she held it as if it weighed nothing.  She pulled it straight, then ripped off the lamp portion, leaving a jagged point.

It was starting to creep over me just how much danger I was in.  That this was THE Nora I had been hearing so much about.  The creature that could control lightning, bring a blizzard down onto a single house.  This little girl was the thing my worst nightmare had nightmares about.

Calypso stepped away from Gabriel, moving in Nora's direction.  "I'm so sorry..." she whispered.

"I know," Nora answered, her voice cold.  She hurled the makeshift spear at Calypso, impaling the vampire through the center of her chest.  Calypso fell backwards, the tip of the spear cracking a heavy tile in half and burying itself a few inches into the floor.  Her body jerked violently with the impact. Calypso spasmed.  She opened her mouth to speak or scream, and dark blood ran out.  After a few seconds, her body went limp.

My heart was ice in my chest.  Nora turned her attention to Gabriel next, and I silently thanked the gods for that.  "Drink her blood.  She is a gift from me to you."

Gabriel shook his head.  "No."

Nora descended the remaining stairs, one careful step at a time.  "Why not?" she asked.  Her voice was calm and soft, but unnervingly eerie.

"Because you want me to," Gabriel answered,  "That's good enough reason for me not to."

"I see you're still being stubborn, despite my generosity."  She walked into the kitchen as a panther prowls around its prey.  "Don't you care for me any longer?"

"You know the answer to that Nora." Gabriel was starting to get agitated.  "I've told you thousands of times. I love you more than anyone else in this entire world.  You just never believe me."  He closed his eyes, as if in pain.  "And this feels awkward with you looking like that."

Nora shrugged her tiny shoulders.  "You weren't around, so I took on a form I'm more comfortable in."

"You are what you eat," Gabriel said tightly.

"Touche." Nora sighed and turned around.  "It's time to go."

"I'm not coming with you."

She looked over her shoulder at him.  "Yes, you are."

He shook his head, his expression firm.  "No, this is my home now.  I came here for a reason.  I bought this damned piece of real estate seventy years ago and I have yet to actually enjoy it!  As much as I love you Nora, you'll be the death of me."

Nora turned just her head back.  "Fine."  A hint of an edge crept into her voice.  "You can stay. On one condition."

"Whatever it is, I won't do it." He couldn't help but ask.  "What condition?"

Nora lifted up one small, pale hand and pointed in my direction without looking at me.  "Kill her. Right now."  That edge in her voice grew sharper.

Gabriel looked over at me in surprise. I looked back at him with wide eyes. "Why?" he asked.

"Because she's an annoyance to me," Nora replied.

He frowned.  "You two have never met before. How could she be a bother to you?"

Nora turned to me then, her bright green eyes filled with venom.  "I know her," she said.  "She's just like the other one. I can smell it on her.  I want her dead."

A glint of suspicion dawned in Gabriel's eyes.  "Why don't you kill her yourself?" he asked.  "If she bothers you that much."

She glared at him.  "No. You have to do it."  She gritted her teeth, and I saw she had tiny fangs.  "You say you love me more than anyone else. So you kill her!"

"No, Nora.  There's a reason you want me to kill her, so I'm not going to. You can just go ahead and do it yourself."

Nora's eyes widened in shock.  She looked like he had slapped her in the face.  I could see the rage building up in her small form.  On the counter, there was a bright flash and the toaster flew upwards, trailing a charred power cord behind it.  There was a spark inside the microwave, and it too rocketed off the counter, falling to the floor.  The overhead lights flickered. A few bulbs shattered.

Gabriel relaxed his stance to a crouch, getting ready for a fight.  Before Nora could make the first move, he lunged at her.  When he was just inches away from her, she lifted up one hand and touched his forehead with two fingers.

He dropped like a stone.  She caught him and lifted him up in her tiny arms.  He appeared to be unharmed, but since he was a vampire I couldn't be sure.

Nora turned her gaze back to me.  By this time, the appliances and lights had stopped going haywire.  My silver gun was empty, the silver bullets were all gone.  The only weapon I had was the glove.  Why did the odds always have to be stacked so heavy against me?  This is why I needed constant saving; no one fought fair.

"Gabriel belongs to me," she said to me.  "You are a mere insect compared to him. There is no point trying to become close to him."

"You can have him," I assured her feelingly,  "Really."

Her eyes narrowed.  "You are just like the other one.  If you come for Gabriel, I will force him to end you."  She was gone in the next second, flying impossibly fast up the stairs, Gabriel in her arms.

It was then that my legs turned to rubber and gave out.  I fell to my knees, shaking.  Dear Lord, what the hell had I just survived?

As I sat there, a small movement caught the corner of my eye.  I sought it out, discovering that Calypso's hand was twitching ever so slightly. I got to my feet at once and rushed over to her.  This vampire had saved my life, and had made no attempt to kill me so far.  Both were more than enough reasons to try to help her.

I grabbed her under her arms and lifted her up off of the spear, which was embedded in the floor at a forty-five degree angle.  Calypso slumped against my chest, her head hanging over my shoulder, her blood staining the front of my shirt.  I set her down on the tile with her back against the bottom cabinets.  I then hurried over to the fridge. It was one of the only things in the kitchen to remain unharmed. I retrieved as many bottles of pig’s blood as I could carry and dropped them on the floor next to Calypso. I tried opening one frantically.  My hands were covered in her blood and slipped off the cap.

She looked like death itself.  She wasn't breathing and her face was white as ash, but that was standard for vampires, wasn't it?  How could I tell if she was still... undead?

Remembering what Gabriel had shown me, I pressed the side of my face to her chest, the gaping wound bleeding all over my chin and down my neck.  I placed my ear over her heart and waited.

After an agonizing eternity, I heard a weak thump.  I lifted the bottle of blood up to her lips and poured some into her mouth.  It leaked from the sides of her mouth, running down her cheeks.  I roughly massaged her throat, forcing her to swallow. Of course, all the blood was just going to bleed right out of her again, I was just praying it was doing some good.  I opened another bottle and force-fed her.

I kept this up as best I could.  It didn't help that I was shaking so much.  On the third bottle I was so nerve-wrecked that I couldn't open it at all.  I grunted in frustration, throwing the bottle onto the floor.  Tears bit the corners of my eyes.

The door leading to the basement cracked open and Steven peered around it.  He hurried over when he saw me.  "Angie, are you all right?" he asked in concern.

My head throbbed, my throat burned, my body ached all over, but right now I could only think of Calypso.  "Help me save her," I pleaded, holding out one of the bottles.

He took the bottle from me without any questions.  Together we managed to feed Calypso in a steady stream.  As we went, I noticed that she was bleeding less and less.  I felt for her wound and discovered to my relief that it was growing smaller.  "She needs some rest, help me get her upstairs."

Together, we carried her up to the guest room.  We laid her down on the bed and I covered her with a blanket, for all the good that it would do.  I leaned my forehead on Steven's shoulder, my arms just barely hanging from my shoulder sockets.  "I'm sorry."  My voice broke on the words.  "Great Aunt Katrina did such a good job of protecting you, Ricky, and Cass.  Here two weeks, and I've already exposed you to all this. I let a monster out of the attic and destroyed everything."

Steven put an awkward hand on my shoulder.  "It's not your fault," he said wearily,  "Honestly, I always knew Katrina was involved in something.  Every now and then, some people would come into town and ask some questions.  She had me do all this security work on the house, which apparently is completely useless as I have not heard a single alarm all night.  I thought she was running from the mob or something.  I never thought it would be vampires, or that she would have one locked in the attic."

I straightened up and wiped my eyes.  "What are you going to do now?"

Steven sighed.  "I'm going to go downstairs and make the couch comfortable.  You get some rest.  You look like death warmed over, and you can barely stand.  I'll keep watch for any more baddies. Tomorrow we can decide what to do about all of this."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded.  "No worries. I'll be fine."

I unhooked the silver chain from the back of my jeans.  "Take this with you," I told him, "The gun is empty, so it's pretty much useless.  But this might help you."  I reached up, putting the chain around his neck.  I looped it loosely, so as not to strangle him.

We headed out into the hallway and I shut the door behind me.  We parted at the top of the stairs. "Take care of yourself."

"Get some sleep," he told me.

"Are you going to be okay with a corpse in the kitchen?"

"I was trying not to think about that."

I made it to my room and plopped on the bed, not having the strength to aim myself.  Once the excitement was over, once my body had run out of adrenaline, my energy sapped right out of me.  I was a dried husk, and I fell at once into a dreamless sleep.


	16. A Gilded Cage

_I woke to the feel of cool leather under my skin and my head cradled on a small lap as dainty fingers slowly glided through my hair.  "It was I who turned Cal and Callie," Nora murmured, "They were like children to me, and so powerful.  I gave them to you, because-"_

_I sat up, finding myself in the expansive back seat of a limousine.  "I know what you've been trying to say, Nora." I cut her off as I inspected my surroundings.  The interior was dark, the only light coming from the bright city lights shining in through the windows.  We were in Manhattan by now.  "In your own twisted way, you're trying to show me that you still care."_

_Nora was unperturbed.  She lowered her hand to her lap.  "I am your wife, even now.  Of course I still care."_

_I leaned my elbow on the armrest and stared out the window.  "Except I don't believe you."  The city outside was vibrant and alive, but everything in the car felt lifeless and flat.  I needed to shake Nora off somehow, so that I could explore the city at my leisure.  Then I could return home and make sure Evangeline hadn't changed the locks on me._

_"Of course you don't believe me," Nora said, her voice dull,  "You never do."_

_An old, buried frustration resurfaced.  "What do you expect, Nora?" I snapped.  "You always lie."_

_Her young eyes widened innocently.  "Gabriel, I have never lied to you, and I never will."_

_I didn’t buy that for a second. Nora was made of lies.  Everything she said was to further her own designs, ever enigmatic and elusive.  "Then tell me why you wanted Angie dead." I was careful to use her nickname, not as a courtesy to Evangeline, but more as a withholding of information from Nora._

_Nora lay her head against my arm.  She slipped one arm underneath and laced her fingers in mine.  "If you must know, then I will admit to a slight jealousy."  I couldn't see her face, but I could hear the pout in her voice._

_"Jealousy.  Really, Nora?  That's the best you can come up with?  You said the same thing about Katrina, for Christ's sake!"  It wasn't until I said it aloud that I remembered it was true.  Nora's jealousy of Katrina had been venomous._

_"They're the same." Nora sulked.  "Keeping you away from me for so long, just so she could have you all to yourself."  Her voice took an icy edge.  "I'll never forgive her."_

_"I left on my own," I asserted.  My memory was uncertain at best, but I felt it in my bones that I was right.  "I had to get away from you, Nora, you know that."_

_"You're just not remembering correctly." she dismissed me.  She straightened up and looked out the window.  "I'll tell you everything once we're upstairs."_

_The limo pulled up in front of a tall, sleek apartment building.  The driver was out of the car and at Nora's door in seconds.  She was never far away from her servants.  He both was tall and wide, an intimidating combination.  I was sure I could take him out though, if I had to._

_She took my hand and stepped out of the car.  I resisted and found myself being dragged.  I tried to pull my hand from hers, but her grip was immovable.  To add insult to injury, she showed no signs of effort.  She walked up to the glass front doors of the building without a care on her face, pulling me like a toy._

_None of the passersby gave us a second glance.  Ah, New York City, even after all these years it was still the same.  The doorman opened one of the glass doors for her without batting an eye.  I saw at a glance that he was vampire, too.  I took one last look up the tall building before I was dragged inside.  It was easily thirty floors.  I had a sinking feeling that it housed Nora's entire 'family'._

_Vampires were lone wolves, preying on their own kind as well as humans.  We didn’t make nice with each other or organize in any meaningful way.  Not Nora though, she was different.  There was something about her, something that mesmerized, compelling one to follow.  Vampires especially were susceptible to her power.  Her only desire seemed to be to collect as many of our kind into her family as she could._

_"Darling, please try to act civilized," Nora reproached as we stopped at the elevator.  A security guard pressed the button for her. She released my hand.  I straightened up and brushed off my clothes.  There was no point in making a break for it at this point; my only chance had been before entering the building.  I wouldn't be able to leave now without the entire building coming down on me._

_The elevator arrived promptly, the mirrored doors sliding open with a whisper.  Nora stepped inside, and I had no choice but to follow her.  Another vampire was inside, playing bellhop.  He was young, so much so that he wore dark glasses even indoors.  New vampires were especially sensitive to any source of light.  It seemed his only purpose was push the elevator buttons so that Nora didn't have to._

_That sinking feeling I had gotten in the car increased as the elevator ascended.  Nora's influence had grown exponentially while I was gone.  This was what I had always been afraid of; that she would gather too large a group of us together, held together only by her will._

_Nora's influence had always lied in her ability to bewitch.  She had amassed a family of dozens before I left.  I had questioned her ability to control them all at once.  If she let her grip slip even once, it would end in a bloodbath.  I had cautioned her so many times that such a large group would be noticeable to the humans as well.  We needed nourishment, sometimes eradicating whole towns just to feed her brood.  She never listened, her thirst for power and control was far too great._

_I looked at our mirror image in the elevator door.  I saw the look on my face and realized why I had left her so many years ago.  I had never been certain of her feelings toward me.  Had she ever loved me, or was I just another of her minions?_

_Just how had I ended up in that box?  That answer still eluded me._

_The elevator doors slid open, letting out into an impressive apartment that occupied the entire floor.  I stepped out and spared a moment to take it all in._

_The carpet was black and the furniture stark white, creating sharp contrast between them.  There were no outside walls, just huge windows that went floor to ceiling.  We had to be all the way at the top because the entirety of Manhattan lay just beyond those windows, in all it's brightly lit glory._

_The ceilings were high, giving the entire apartment the open feeling of being outdoors. The furniture was sleek and modern, made of chrome and plastic painted glossy white. There were many high-tech features as well, such as a large flat screened television, wafer thin laptops, and a top-of-the-line stereo system._

_I couldn't help but be appreciative, this place made my own home look like a hovel._

_I eyed one of the laptops.  I would have to have Evangeline check the prices on one of those.  The one I had now was rather boxy looking.  I had also discovered that my phone was faster if I wanted to look up something on the internet.  From the various advertisements I had seen on the television, that was unacceptable._

_Thinking of my phone gave me an idea.  If I managed to slip away, I could have Evangeline bring the car into the city to pick me up.  I doubted that Nora was going to let me out of her sight, but anything could happen.  It was good to at least have some kind of plan._

_An elderly couple exited the kitchen when the elevator doors opened and hurried over.  They were the first humans I had seen in the building and that puzzled me.  They both appeared to be in their sixties, wearing kind and loving expressions._

_The woman took Nora's face in her hands and kissed her forehead.  "You're home!  We've missed you so much, Nora."_

_"You'd better take a rest," the man chimed in.  "You have to watch your health."_

_"Thank you, Father.  Thank you, Mother."  Nora smiled at the two of them.  "I had a crucial errand to run, but I'm glad to be home."_

_The elderly woman hurried over to a couch and began arranging the pillows while the man held out his arm to Nora.  He led her over to the couch and made sure she was settled comfortably.  "You had us worried; it was getting so late..." the woman said as she grabbed a fleece blanket and covered Nora's legs.  "You know you make us worry so."_

_Nora smiled at them.  "You know you have no reason to worry."_

_She gave her a fond smile.  "Of course, you're such a good girl."  Her face looked so loving and caring, but her eyes were blank and dead.  Her husband's were the same.  It was eerie on so many levels that even I was unnerved._

_"I've brought a friend home," Nora announced, and their blank eyes went to me.  "He'll be staying with us for the foreseeable future."_

_"How wonderful!" the woman exclaimed.  "I am so glad to meet another one of Nora's friends."_

_The man smiled proudly.  "She's such a wonderful girl, so bright and gifted."_

_"Is there anything you need?" the woman asked._

_I shook my head.  "I'm fine."  They were beyond helping anyone._

_"It's quite late, why don't you two go to bed?" Nora suggested.  "Gabriel will take care of me."_

_"An excellent idea," the man agreed at once.  "We'll see you in the morning."  He put an arm around his wife's shoulders and they left the room at once._

_I walked over to the couch and sat down in the armchair across from it.  I gave Nora a long look. “What is it?" she asked self-consciously._

_"Your mother is dead, and your father lives in Paris," I pointed out to her._

_She rolled her eyes in a childlike manner.  "Obviously these are my adopted parents.  They own the building. Isn't it lovely?"_

_I placed my hands together and pressed my fingers to my mouth while I thought this over.  "You've managed to not only convince these humans that you are an actual child, but you got them to adopt you?"_

_She nodded.  "Brilliant, isn't it?  I let myself age gradually, like how a human child grows.  In a few years, they'll either die of old age or accidentally and I will inherit everything."_

_"What about school?"_

_"I have a severe allergy to strong light, so of course I can't go to school.  I'm home tutored."_

_I arched a skeptical eyebrow.  "So, light allergies are real now?"_

_"As a matter of fact, they are."_

_I decided to give up that line of conversation.  I looked around the apartment, taking in the little details.  It was a luxurious and comfortable environment, but it was my prison nonetheless._

_Nora reached over to the low coffee table between the couch and sofa chair.  She picked up a small remote, and with a touch of a button, all the lights dimmed, then went out._

_I turned and looked out the window behind me, now the only source of light in the room.  The city glowed spectacularly.  Colorful neon lights intermingled with pale yellow streetlights, contrasting against large LED screens.  The effect seemed to spread right into the room.  The black carpet blended with the night sky, so that the couch, table and chair appeared to be floating above it all._

_The view was stunning, but I could not value it.  "It's a lovely cage, Nora, but that's all it is."  I turned back to look at her, expecting to see her anger.  I saw something far worse instead: her sadness._

_"Gabriel, please stay with me. I need you so much."_

_There was nothing in this universe that could move me as much as the sight of her in pain.  I struggled against the bitter pang of guilt rising in my chest.  A lump formed in my throat that was impossible to swallow down.  "I can't..." I said with great difficulty._

_"Don't you care for me anymore?" she asked pitifully._

_I got to my feet, a sudden anger rising up, rendering me unable to sit still.  "You know I do! I love you with all my heart."  I clasped one hand to my chest.  "But I'm not one of your possessions, Nora.  You can't just keep me!"_

_She rose from her seat and walked toward to me.  I knelt down and placed my hands on her tiny shoulders.  "Please try to understand.  I've spent too much time in one box or another, figuratively and literally.  I_ _**need** _ _to be free to do what I wish."_

_Nora's face was now a cold mask.  It startled me how quickly her expression had changed.  "That's such a shame, Gabriel," she said, her voice flat.  "I think it's time you remember what really happened the night you left."  She reached up and touched my forehead with two fingers, and my world went black._

  
  


********

  
  


I slept in fits, my brain trying to sort through the events of the past few days in a way that made sense.  My overtired body protested, pulling my consciousness down into blackness. After a few eternities, my mind started to drift back to consciousness.  I couldn't feel my body, only a sense of heaviness.

How had this all happened in such a short time? Just a week ago I was arguing with Mom in her tiny kitchen. I missed her so much, ached for her to hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay.

It was almost as if she were holding me right now.

My eyes cracked open as consciousness floated to the surface.  Strange, I actually did feel like someone was holding me...

I turned over and came face to face with a sleeping Calypso.  She had one arm wrapped around my waist, her body pressed against mine.  I tried to push myself away from her, but she just tightened her grip.  I slipped under her arm and pushed myself back, then immediately fell off the bed.

The noise woke her and she peered over the edge of the bed at me, her eyes half closed in sleepiness.  "I'm sorry. Did I push you off?"

I sat up, rubbing my injured tailbone.  "No, I just didn't expect to see you in my bed. We put you in the guest room."  Last night flooded into my brain all at once and I was instantly alert. "Are you okay?" I asked in concern, reaching over and pulling the blanket off of her.

She was perfectly healed from what I could tell.  My eyes focused on her torso, searching for blood but instead recognizing one of my night shirts.  The faded blue one that Chris had worn as a regular shirt ages ago.  She put her hand to the hem.  "You don't mind that I borrowed it, do you?  I had to throw my own clothes out."

"No, it's okay..." I said as I calmed myself.  "I can't believe you healed so fast."

"Thank you for helping me," she said, her voice earnest.  She wrapped her arms around her chest and stomach.  "I'm not fully healed yet, but the bleeding has stopped."

"Why are you in here?" I asked.  "Why did you come in here and sleep with me?  Aren't you worried about the sun?"  I looked over at my window and discovered that it was covered and taped up.  The only light in the room came from the lamp on the desk.

Calypso ducked her head shyly.  "I'm not used to sleeping by myself," she admitted.  "I was scared of being alone."

I hefted myself up and sat down next to her on the bed.  I put a hand on her shoulder.  "You're the strangest vampire I've ever met."

She smiled at her lap, but it was brief.  "I went downstairs and cleaned up.  I... I buried my sister outside, if that's okay."

My hand tightened on her shoulder.  "Calypso..."

She shook her head.  "No, there's nothing you can say," she whispered, and I knew she was right.

"What about Steven?" I asked, feeling panicky.  "Is he all right? Did you..."

She looked up.  "I sent him home.  He was a nervous wreck. Is it alright that I locked up his memory?  I didn't want him remembering what happened here."

"No, that's fine."  I blinked at her stupidly.  "You... you didn't hurt him?"

She looked genuinely shocked.  "Why would I do something like that?"

"Isn't that what vampires do?  I mean, you guys have to eat..."

She shook her head.  "I've never fed from a human.  Callisto said it wasn't safe for me, so she fed me herself."

"I see..." I wasn't so sure that I did.

She reached over and took my hand with both of hers, a pleading look came over her face.  "You've saved my life, so I shouldn't ask for any favors, but... can I stay here with you?"  My eyebrows shot up, but she continued before I could open my mouth.  "I don't have anywhere to go.  Nora thinks she killed me, and I don't want to prove her wrong right now.  I'll do whatever you ask, just please..."  Her wide blue eyes begged me.

"You can stay for a little while," I told her.  "At least until you're completely well.  I wouldn't feel right just throwing you out into the cold."  I thought for a moment.  "But definitely no eating people while you live here." I made my voice as stern as I could.

"Thank you so much."  Calypso wrapped both arms around me and hugged tightly.  I grasped her arms and tried to stop her from strangling me.  She released me after a moment.  "What's your name?"

"Uh, you can call me Angie," I told her.  "You're Calypso, right?"

She nodded.  "You can call me Callie."  Her smile was dazzling.

"Then that is what I will do."  I got to my feet and checked my alarm clock, which read two o'clock in the afternoon.  "Is it really that late?"  I took a long stretch, loosening the tight muscles in my arms and legs.  "I guess you can have Gabriel's room, since Nora took him."  David was going to be pissed at me, but at this point I didn’t care.

Callie shivered.  "No, I don't want to go in there."  She gave me a fearful look.  "When are you going to bring him back?"

"Never, if I can help it.  He was a pain in the neck."  I paused and looked at her.  "Not literally."

Her eyes were filled with worry, but not for the sake of my jugular.

"What's the matter?"

"If I tell you...  You'll try to go and get him back."

My body drooped.  "Aw man... I'm not going to like this, am I?"  She shook her head.  "Well you better spit it out."

"Nora's going to kill a lot of people."  Callie looked me in the eye, deadly serious.  "And she's going to make Gabriel help her."

"You know, strike that, I really need some food.  Tell me all this after I've had some carbohydrates and protein."  I grabbed her hand, pulled her off the bed, and led her downstairs.

She had done a good job of cleaning up.  Everything that had been broken beyond repair had been removed, so the kitchen looked a little sparse.  The heavy table and one chair had survived, I was happy to see.  I gestured for Callie to take the chair while I rummaged around the kitchen.  My options were limited without a toaster and coffee maker, so I eventually settled on eggs and toasted some bread on the stove.  While I was at it, I prepared a bottle of pig's blood for Callie.  The microwave was gone, so I heated it up in a pot of water like how people used to do with bottles of baby formula.

She wrapped both hands around the bottle and stared at it, lost in thought.  I sat on the kitchen counter, plate and fork in hand.  "So, out with it," I said around a mouthful of eggs.  "How's Nora going to kill a lot of people, other than the usual way?"

"She holds sway over many of our kind, and gathers more every night," Callie began.  "We don't have to eat as often as humans, but we do get hungry.  Nora is having trouble feeding her brood without being noticed."  I ate while she talked, that way I wouldn't have to speak.  "In the past when times were lean, she would find a small town, have everyone settle there, then raze it in one night.  She hasn't been able to do that in quite some time.  There is too much communication even between small towns."  Calypso continued to stare at the white bottle in front of her.  "I haven't been a vampire long by our standards. I'm only twenty years in, but I can feel it deep inside.  The aggression, the resentment toward the others.  Nora's influence keeps it buried, but doesn't make it go away."

"So," I spoke finally.  "Nora is amassing a vampire army, whose soldiers could turn on each other at any minute."

Callie nodded.  "Eventually that tenuous thread will snap. Many of us will die."

"With the splash effect meaning a lot of human bystanders going with them."  She nodded again.  "Where's Nora based? Somewhere here on Long Island?"

She shook her head.  "Manhattan."  She cracked open her bottle and began to drink.

"Christ."  I got up and dumped my plate in the sink.  "This is the last thing I need."  I turned back to her, bracing my hands behind me on the sink.  "Where does Gabriel fit into all this?"

Callie drained her bottle.  "Gabriel also has the power to influence. If he tried, he'd be stronger than her.  She will use him to augment her power, so she can pull in more numbers. She'll also have him kill her adopted parents, so she can inherit their estate early."

"And Gabriel's just going to go along with it?" I asked.  "It seemed to me that he wanted to be as far away from her as vampire-ly possible."

"She plans to pull him under her influence as well, that's why she's been feeding him so much.  She feeds her servants some of her own blood before she sends them out, then Gabriel drinks their blood and her blood with it.  She can now exercise greater control over him."

"You seem to know a good deal about Nora's inner workings," I commented.

Callie shook her head.  "I can never know what she's thinking, just what will happen because of her actions."  She looked over at me.  “I can see it, just like how I knew Nora sent us here to die.  She never told us, but I knew."  She looked over at the kitchen floor.

"So, you're clairvoyant?" I asked, starting to feel excited.  "You can see the future?"

Callie gave me a sympathetic look, as if I were a small child asking why the sky was blue.  "The future is never certain.  I just have a better understanding of what _could_ happen."

"Like, what'll happen if I try to save Gabriel and stop Nora?"

"If you go alone, you'll definitely die," she said at once.

"I don't need a psychic to tell me that.  What if I got some help?" I asked, thinking of David.

"If you have help, strong help, then the odds of success increase.”  She hesitated a moment.  “It still doesn't look good for you."

I thought about that for a long moment.  I walked over to the table and placed my fingertips on the surface.  "Earlier, when you saved me from Gabriel, you said I wasn't supposed to die yet...  That's because you know I am going to die challenging Nora, right?"  She nodded.  "Can you tell me what actions I can take now to ensure the best possible chance of succeeding?"

"You'll need more ammunition for your silver gun," she replied.  "And preferably something with a longer reach than your glove."

I nodded.  "I wonder if Great Aunt Katrina has anything stashed around here.  I thought it was odd that she had her gear here, but no ammo.  Maybe she hid it."

"I'll help you look," she offered eagerly.  "I can look in areas you might not be able."

"Sounds like a plan.  You get started. I'm going to go make a phone call."  I pushed away from the table and headed into the living room to find the phone.


	17. Final Memory

"Have you found anything?" I called, broom in my hands, shivering in the cold.  The weak sunlight streaming down was enough to make me squint.

I was standing in the hallway on the second floor, looking up the stairs into what remained of the attic.  Callie had insisted on going up there instead of me, citing that all the broken grass would slice me to ribbons.

"Almost..."  I heard a thump, then the scraping noise of something heavy being dragged through the snow and glass.  "Watch out." was all the warning I had before she tossed a large black trunk down to the floor below.  I dodged backwards away from the mini-avalanche of snow and glass that came with the trunk.

Callie hopped down, unrecognizable with a heavy blanket wrapped around her head and shoulders.  It was nearing sunset, but even dim winter sunlight could still scorch her skin.  She folded the staircase up into the ceiling, then whipped off the blanket.  "I found that in the tomb, underneath what was left of the coffin."

"It's big enough to hide another body inside," I said warily.

"Do you think your Great Aunt would hide two vampires up there?"

"I'm not sure, I didn't know her that well."

"Better be careful when you open it, just in case."  She lifted the trunk, and carried it downstairs while I swept up the glass and melting snow.

I joined her in the living room. She had moved the furniture out of the way, so we could set up a base of operations. We'd spent the better part of the day gathering as much of Great Aunt Katrina's personal belongings as we could find.

We weren't just looking for weapons. We scoured the entire house for anything Katrina Riley might have had some attachment to.  This was surprisingly little.  I had brought down her journal and some jewelry (all silver, of course) while Callie had brought up the trunk in the basement.  I had also gathered all the books that looked promising and the laptop.

The laptop, books, and journal were set up at the kitchen table.  Callie was a swift reader so she did most of the research.  After she had put the trunks in the living room, I set about trying to open them.

I found myself unable to locate my keys. I searched everywhere before coming to the conclusion that they must be with Gabriel. Callie had to break the locks on the trunks for me. It was a shame to do it, as they were both antiques.

Inside the basement trunk, I didn't find anything new, just Great Aunt Katrina's old hunting clothes. I decided to keep the leather jacket. It had a bunch of hidden pockets and I could carry a whole arsenal with me.

I tried it on right away. It hung on me rather loosely, Great Aunt Katrina had been much broader in the chest and shoulders. Taller too, the jacket hung down past my waist. She must have been taller than Gabriel.

I paused before opening the second trunk, convincing myself that whatever was in there, it definitely wasn't another vampire. What I did discover were several objects of varying size, each wrapped up in a black cloth.

The first one was small, but heavy. It shifted around in its cloth with a metallic clinking sound. I unwrapped it, finding it to be a thick silver chain with a weight attached to each end. Each weight ended with a sharp silver spike.

"Huh," I said, holding it up so Callie could see it.

She looked over at me from the kitchen. "What's that?"

"I think it might be a manriki chain. My brother had one, but without the spikes."

"Do you know how to use it without hurting yourself?"

"Nope." I wrapped it back up and put it aside.

The next package was smaller than the first, and lightweight. As I unwrapped it, it sliced my thumb. "Ouch, dammit!" I swore, putting my thumb in my mouth just as a bright drop of blood welled up from the cut.

"What did you find?" Callie asked.

I finished unwrapping the package. "Nintha throwing shtars," I said around my thumb.

"Silver?" I nodded and put the throwing stars aside.

I found a katana next. It was a beautiful weapon, the blade was silver plated with the handle wrapped in black leather. I stood up and took a couple of practice swings. It was well balanced, so I barely felt its weight. I set it in a new pile of things that we might take with us.

I reached for the largest package next. A brown leather-wrapped hilt sticking out of a massive wrapped bundle. It was incredibly heavy, and I struggled with it vainly. With one great heave, I managed to drag it out of the trunk by the hilt. The black cloth fell away, revealing a wide shining silver blade carved with indecipherable runes. The sharp tip immediately buried itself into the wooden floor.

"Pretty," Callie said from right behind me. I jumped in surprise, turning my head to look at her. She reached around me and grasped the sword hilt. I let it go and she lifted it up as if it were a feather. She turned the blade, looking at the inscriptions. "I've never seen anything like this before." She turned away from me and swung the sword through the air. "I like it. A lot." She seemed mesmerized by the shining silver. "What kind of sword is it?"

"Careful," I cautioned her. "You might burn yourself. I think it's called a Claymore."

Callie laughed lightly. "As long as I hold it by the covered part, I'll be fine." She turned to me and grinned.

I frowned at her. "It's awfully big and looks like it would do a lot of damage. I thought we were trying to stop needless bloodshed."

"I'll take this for the bloodshed that's needed," she said simply. She carried the sword back to the kitchen with her, laying it on the counter with great care.

I went back to the trunk and found more weapons of all kinds, including several guns. At the bottom, I found Great Aunt Katrina's silver revolver. It rested in a wooden case lined with red velvet, along with a welcome surprise. "Bullets!" I exclaimed. "I knew Great Aunt Katrina had to have ammo somewhere!"

"It's odd that she kept it under the coffin," Callie remarked. She had returned to the living room, flipping through Katrina's journal. "She was a hunter, wasn't she? Wouldn't she need all this stuff?"

I looked down at the unpacked trunk, the weapons strewn all over the floor. "All this stuff belonged to vampire hunters, only the revolver is Katrina's. Still... she buried it all underneath Gabriel. Fifty years ago, she was still young. She could have continued hunting."

"Not according to this. Outside of a few excursions, she stayed here."

"I guess once she caught him, she didn't have a reason to hunt anymore."

"She was kind," Callie remarked.

I looked over at her. "What makes you say that?"

She pointed at a passage in the journal. "What could I have done? My old enemy lay prostrate before me, seeking salvation from an evil that has manipulated his actions for over a century. Here was my chance to finally avenge my parents, my town. What choice did I have?"

I hurried over to Callie, weapons forgotten. I continued reading the passage as she fell silent. My eyes widened as a powerful emotion built up inside of me.

"Angie, you're crying." She reached one hand up and wiped my cheek with two fingers.

I looked up from the book. "We have to bring him back, Callie. For Katrina."

She wrapped one arm around my shoulders. "I don't owe anything to your great aunt, but I owe you my life. If you want Gabriel back, then we'll get him back," she promised.

  
  


********

  
  


** *Fifty years earlier* **

_ Why had he called me to this desolate place in the middle of nowhere?  We had chased each other for two decades, from Ireland, to Paris, and finally to America.  Was it all finally going to end on Long Island, of all places? _

_ I looked up at the old house out in the center of the overgrown field.  Could it be a trap?  I looked down at the paper in my hand.  It was small with a cross drawn on it in blood.  The address was written on the back.  I crumpled it tightly.  If it was a trap, it was a poor one at best.  I drew my gun as I slowly climbed the porch steps.  I was foolish for coming, but I wasn't suicidal. _

_ The front door was ajar; darkness lay beyond it.  I nudged it open all the way and peered inside.  I pulled my flashlight out of my long coat and shined it into the dark house. _

_ The floor was wooden; the planks gray with age.  I stepped on them carefully, but they still creaked and groaned.  There was a hall closet immediately to my left.  I ignored it and stepped into the kitchen.  Shadows loomed under my light's pale beam.  I walked past the counter, toward the living room. _

_ He sat on the floor, shoulders hunched.  He didn't move when my beam fell on him.  His head was bowed, hiding his face.  His clothes were torn and bloody, but he did not appear injured.  His hands were in his lap, palms up.  They were covered in blood. _

_ I aimed at him and pulled the trigger without hesitation.  The bullet grazed his cheek and hit the floor.  He didn't even flinch. _

_ He spoke quietly, his voice without inflection.  "I know now... the reason why I saved your life all those years ago.  I know why I pursued you all this time since then.  I know why I never let you live a normal life." _

_ He lifted his head.  His eyes were fully red with black slits like a cat.  His skin was the color of a gravestone.  "I stole your life from you, forced you onto the hunter's path.  I created the greatest hunter to ever exist... for this moment." _

_ I stared at him, waiting for his trap to spring.  I tore my eyes away for a brief second, so I could take in my surroundings. _

_ Where was his demonic family?  Where was the brood his wife had collected over the years?  When was the last time I had seen him completely alone? _

_ And what was this place?  It didn't look like anyone had lived here in years.  It didn't even have any electric lights.  Was it his house?  Why was it out in the middle of nowhere? _

_ "I want you to kill me, Katrina," he continued.  "I need you to." I stared back at him, breathing hard through my nose, my mouth tight.  "You're the only one in this whole world that can do it.  It's fitting, because you deserve to the most." _

_ This was not the Gabriel Crowley that I knew.  This was not the grinning monster I had stalked for two decades.  This was someone who had been broken, whose whole life had become filled with pain.  This monster was weighed down by loss and remorse.  It cut into him, down to the bone, down until it had split his heart in half. _

_ I lowered my gun. _

_ He let out a heavy sigh.  "Pity, Katrina?  Now?" _

_ I shook my head.  "Oh no, you vile creature.  This is not pity.  I can see how much you’re suffering right now.  The only thought in my mind at this moment is 'good, suffer more.'" _

_ He flinched, his eyes closing against the pain lancing through him.  "I deserve that." _

_ "You deserve so much more.  You deserve years of this agony." _

_ "Unfortunately that's not going to be the case.  You're going to kill me tonight." _

_ I laughed harshly.  "You act like you can make me." _

_ "I can."  His eyes glowed red.  "I created you.  I honed you through our battles, forged you in their fire.  You've devoted your entire life to hunting me down, killing me, and butchering my corpse." _

_ "You're correct up to a point.  I definitely dream about gutting you like a fish.  But seeing you like this, in such agony...   It’s satisfying in a much deeper way." _

_ His eyes flashed brighter.  "I am not toying around, Katrina Riley." _

_ I pulled up an old wooden chair, dragging it over the dusty floor.  I sat on it backwards, legs apart, leaning my arms on the backrest.  "You're right, this is not play time.  Tell me what happened and I'll consider granting your request." _

_ "You just want me to relive the worst night in my life for your own amusement." _

_ My eyes widened as I felt a new exhilaration course through me.  "Oh yes." _

_ He lowered his head.  "Fine," he said meekly.  "If you must know... my son is dead.  He was slain tonight." _

_ "What a shame," I said without a single drop of pity.  "Another hunter beat me to the punch." _

_ He drew in a sharp breath.  "It wasn't a hunter.  Nora killed him."  His voice broke over her name, one hand clenched into a fist.  "I wanted to leave her.  Not forever, just for a little while.  Her brood is growing past her ability to control it.  She expects me to pick up the slack, but I don't agree with her schemes.  I just needed a break from her madness, a few decades at the most."  One hand went to his head, clenching in his hair.  "Lucifer wanted to go with me, and she-" a sob broke in his throat. _

_ "So, let me see if I have this correct.  Your certifiably demented monster-wife slaughtered her first born and drained him because  _ _** you  ** _ _ decided not to go along with her megalomaniacal schemes?" I surmised as I held up both hands in mock surprise.  "Shocking." _

_ He had both hands clutching his head now.  It was bowed low while his shoulders shook.  "I-I ran away.  I wanted to kill her for what she'd done.  I still do.  Please end me, Katrina.  I can't take this anymore..." _

_ I held up my revolver.  He lifted his head slightly, looking at me through his tousled hair.  His shoulders tensed in anticipation. _

_ With one hand I undid the chamber and tilted the gun until it pointed at the ceiling.  The silver bullets slid out, hitting the floor with almost musical pings.  I tossed the gun aside. _

_ I leaned forward in the chair and lowered my voice to a hiss.  "You listen to me right now: I am not your puppet nor your servant.  You did not create me.  The only thing you did was help that wife of yours butcher my family and destroy my only home,"  I spat on the floor next to him.  "Get out of here.  Crawl away and slaughter that she-devil.  You'll be saving me the effort." _

_ "I don't want to kill her," he said stubbornly.  "I love her." _

_ "Love?" I asked incredulously, then let out a harsh laugh.  "Do you even know what that word means?"  My lips pulled into a sneer.  "Putting a bullet in you would only be picking on the weak..." _

_ "God dammit, Katrina!"  He sprang to his feet in the blink of an eye.  " _ _** Kill me now! ** _ _ " he roared. _

_ I stared up at him through narrowed eyes, my jaw set.  "No."  My voice had the finality of a coffin lid closing. _

_ His eyes glowed like foxfire and his lips were pulled back over his fangs.  His claws glistened in the pale beam of my flashlight.  When he spoke again his voice was full of gravel.  "I will end you right now, I swear to-" _

_ "So it’s come to threats now?” I interrupted loudly.  “You must be truly desperate!  I know for a fact that if you were going to kill me, you would have done it as soon as I walked in the door!  As long as you need me, then any threat you give me is as hollow as your chest!" _

_ "Perhaps, but I don't have to kill you, just hurt you until you give me what I want."  He reached out for me, but I was already anticipating his movements.  I swung up with the flashlight and hit him in the side of the head as hard as I could. _

_ The silver casing connected with his skin and he fell to the floor.  I got to my feet calmly and stood over his prone form.  "Stay here.  I'll come back tomorrow.  Maybe I'll kill you then." _

_ He didn't move or speak.  The skin at his temple was scorched.  He stared straight ahead as I stepped over him and walked away. _

  
  


_ xXx _

  
  


_ The next evening I returned.  This time I carried a rucksack with me. _

_ He was still on the floor where I'd left him.  As far as I could tell, he hadn't moved an inch.  He stared ahead blankly. _

_ "You didn’t escape.  I’m genuinely surprised at you, monster," I told him.  "You haven't done that in a long time."  I dropped the heavy pack on the floor _

_ "Are you going to kill me tonight?" _

_ "Maybe.  Maybe I'll do it tomorrow." _

_ I started setting out my supplies.  I'd brought two large oil lamps, fuel, rations, water, and a sleeping bag.  I cleared a space for everything in the kitchen. _

_ "I was the one that picked your town," he confessed to the floor.  "Nora didn't care where we went, as long as there was enough blood.  We could have gone anywhere, but your town was in a good location.  It was far away from any other civilization and had lots of farmland surrounding it." _

_ I marched into the living room and retrieved my revolver.  I picked up a single silver bullet from the floor and loaded it.  I spun the chamber, then aimed at his head quickly.  I pulled the trigger. _

_ There was a hollow click from the gun. _

_ "Looks like luck's just not on your side."  My voice was dripping with venom as I placed the gun on the counter separating the two rooms. _

  
  


_ xXx _

  
  


_ I returned the third night with more supplies.  He still hadn't moved. _

_ "Are you going to kill me tonight?" _

_ "Maybe," I answered.  "Maybe I'll do it tomorrow." _

_ "Do you remember Paris?" _

_ "How could I forget?" I answered darkly. _

_ "I was the one that filleted Alphonse Brun alive.  He screamed himself hoarse long before he died.  It took hours." _

_ Something inside my gut twisted sharply.  I picked my revolver up off the counter and pointed it at him.  I didn't hesitate before pulling the trigger. _

_ The tiny click was thunderous in the silence that fell. _

_ I placed the gun back on the counter and seethed. _

  
  


_ xXx _

  
  


_ The fourth night I brought a large wooden box with me, loaded up in the back of a borrowed truck.  It was six feet long and heavy.  I pulled it into the house by myself.  I couldn't have anyone come with me to help. _

_ I dragged it through the kitchen and into the living room, only stopping when I was next to his prone form.  I dropped the end on the floor with a crash.  The box was sturdy and wouldn’t break just from that. _

_ He turned his eyes to me.  He hadn't moved in so long dust was settling on his clothes.  "Are you going to kill me tonight?" _

_ "Maybe,"  I answered breathlessly.  "Either way, I've brought your coffin." _

_ "Do you remember your first kiss, Katrina?" _

_ "No," I said dismissively as I pried the lid off the box.  I took a moment to wipe the sweat from my brow. _

_ "How insulting," he said drily.  "I remember like it was yesterday." _

_ I paused, my hand on my forehead.  "What?" _

_ "Honestly, I thought you would have seen through my glamour right away.  Looks like I'm more skilled than I thought." _

_ "You're lying," I breathed.  "You'll say anything at this point."  I could feel my eyes bulging. _

_ "You even asked me why I was wearing that ridiculous hat, remember?  When you reached for me, I thought you were going to rip it off my head."  He let out a bitter laugh.  "That would have been a nasty surprise, wouldn't it?" _

_ This time I felt tears prick the corners of my eyes.  My whole body felt like it was on fire.  I picked the gun up off the counter, pointing and firing in the same motion. _

_ I barely heard the faint click over the roaring in my ears. _

_ I dropped the gun and stormed out of the house. _

  
  


_ xXx _

  
  


_ I didn't return until late the next evening.  "Are you going to kill me tonight?" he asked yet again. _

“ _ Maybe,” I answered.  I dropped a heavy sack on the floor.  It jingled slightly. _

_ I looked around the room again.  There were two large windows opposite the entrance.  How had he not been burned by the sun if he wasn’t moving during the daytime? _

_ I walked over to the windows and stood between them.  I faced him with both hands out, estimating how the sunlight would fall during the day.  Somehow after I’d struck him, he’d fallen just barely outside the path of the sun. _

_ Had he planned that on purpose?  Was it instinctive? _

“ _If you want to die so badly, why don’t you just stand naked outside at noon?”_

_ He didn’t answer me. _

_ I retrieved my revolver from the floor.  I knelt down next to him and pointed it to the side of his head.  “Do you really want to leave this up to me?  Do you think that I’ll give you a quick, painless death as opposed to you just burning to death?” _

_ He remained silent and stared straight ahead, not looking at me.  He lay on his side, exactly as he’d fallen.  My finger tightened on the trigger. _

_ Something just didn’t feel right to me, but I couldn’t place what.  There were so many things, really, but what was it that was nagging me in the back of my head? _

_ It took me a moment, as I stared at him intently, before I realized what was wrong. _

_ There was no dust on his shirt. _

_ My eyes narrowed as I checked the chambers of the revolver.  The silver bullet was the next shot.  I looked at his hands without touching him.  There was a recent burn mark on his index finger.  It was so small I wouldn’t have noticed it if I hadn’t looked specifically for it. _

_ I pulled the bullet out of the gun and held it in front of his face.  My voice was hard as iron when I spoke.  “Now you don’t get this.” _

_ He didn’t look at me, but his jaw tightened. _

_ I stood up straight, keeping my eyes on him.  “Get into the box.” _

_ Finally his eyes turned to me.  “What?” _

“ _ You heard me perfectly.  Get. Into. The. Box.” _

_ He looked away.  “Why?” _

“ _ Because I’ve decided how I’m going to kill you.  I’ve picked out the most perfect weapon.  The only one you deserve,” _

“ _ Oh?  And that would be?” _

“ _ Time.” _

  
  


_ xXx _

  
  


_ I finished wrapping the box in the silver chain.  I’d bought as much as I could from a jewelry supply store in Manhattan.  The thickest one they had looked like gossamer against the rough wood.  It would have to do. _

_ When my work was done, I sat on the floor, leaning against the side of the box.  I stared up at the ceiling. _

“ _ You’re just going to leave me here?”  His voice was low and muffled, but still audible in the silence. _

“ _ Yes, but not by yourself.  I’ll be here with you.” _

“ _ That’s not comforting.” _

“ _ It’s not supposed to be.” _

_ There was a long pause.  “What if time doesn’t kill me?” _

_ A breathless laugh escaped my chest.  “That’s the funny thing about time.  Enough of it will kill anything.” _

“ _ And if it kills you first?” _

“ _ It doesn’t matter as long as you suffer.  And you  _ _** will  ** _ _ suffer.  Guilt.  Agony.  Loss.  They’ll eat away inside of you, devour your darkness.  Even if your body never dies, enough time will kill the Gabriel Crowley that destroyed my home.” _

“ _ How do you know that for certain?  What if it just makes me worse?” _

_ I laughed again as I inspected my nails.  One of them had broken while I was struggling with the box.  “I know from experience, monster.  You taught me what suffering does to a person.”  I looked back up at the ceiling, my eyes watering.  “Just look at me...  I’ve found the least merciful, but most kind way to destroy you.” _

“ _ What will you do if I try to escape?” _

“ _ I’ll just put you back in the box.” _

“ _ So you’re never going to shoot me?  You’re not even going to try?” _

_ I reached into my pocket and pulled out the silver bullet.  “I’ll hold onto this just in case.  One day it might make its way to you.”  I held it up so that the flickering lantern light reflected off of it. _

 


	18. Assault on Castle Nora

_ I awoke slowly, easing into consciousness with the same reluctance a swimmer feels when getting into a cold pool. My vision swam as if I were already underwater. Where was I? _

_ A dim light glowed overhead. "I believe he's finally coming to," a male voice said from far away. _

_ Small hands clasped the sides of my face. I looked up, but could not see their owner. "He's barely conscious. Continue." _

_ There was a sharp pain at my wrist. I tried to struggle, but my arms were too heavy to move. A pair of soft lips pressed against my forehead. "Shh, Gabriel," Nora soothed. "I'm trying to help you. You want to remember, don't you?" _

_ "Remember what?" I mumbled, barely coherent. I felt as if I were lying on my back, but the room kept shifting, so I couldn't be sure. _

_ "The night you disappeared, of course. The night that woman came and took you away from me." _

_ I wasn't sure what was going on, but there was only one person Nora referred to as 'that woman' with such loathing in her voice. "Katrina?" _

_ "Yes, she was terrible in her hatred and jealousy. She came and attacked our family, intent only on capturing you. Lucifer tried to fight her himself, but she slew him without remorse." _

_ I tried to frown, but was having difficulty moving my facial muscles. My head kept spinning, and my body was getting heavier and heavier. "But Lucien said..." _

_ She ran her fingers down my cheek. "You're so tired, so weak. When was the last time you fed?" _

_ "Yesterday," I answered. It was then that I felt a deep hunger gnawing inside of me. I was ravenous, but helpless at the same time. It was the same as when I had been trapped in that damned box. A figure leaned over me, blocking out the light from the ceiling. _

_ "You don't have to worry," she whispered. "I will take care of you, my darling husband." A drop hit my lips, heavy and warm. The blood hit my tongue and ignited my hunger. I opened my mouth wide, my fangs aching to sink into soft flesh. She offered her tender wrist and I took it gladly. My mind was fevered, but as I drank her blood, I was calmed. My mind was wiped of all discomfort and anxiety. _

_ She laughed and the sound soothed me down to my soul. "You're always so eager, Gabriel. Careful or you might kill me." _

_ I stopped at once, sitting up. The room had mercifully seized its spinning and my head was much clearer. "I would rather die than hurt you." Her eyes widened as I wrapped both arms around her and held her against my chest. _

_ She wrapped her arms around my neck. "I've missed you so much, Gabriel. I'm so glad you've finally returned to me." She pulled away from me and smiled warmly. _

_ I put my hands to the sides of her face tenderly. "I don't know why I ever left," I told her. _

  
  


********

  
  


Angie tugged at a lock of hair in front of her eyes irritably. "What exactly is this supposed to accomplish?"

I cleaned up the bottles in the bathroom, tossing them into the tiny trashcan next to the toilet. "Well, you're great aunt had red hair, right? And Gabriel said you looked a bit like her."

"When we first met he confused me for her. Then there was that thing downstairs where he tried to kill me. This color looks so fake, I'm surprised it was here. I guess Great Aunt Katrina was going gray in her later years." She frowned deeply, but her face wasn't designed for harsh expressions, so she just looked cute.

"This just might give us an edge over Nora," I smiled reassuringly. "She hates Katrina with a passion. You might throw her off guard."

A vision flashed before my eyes. Angie was lying on the ground, blood pouring from a gaping wound on her wrist. Her newly dyed hair mixed into the blood pooling around her.

I stretched my smile wider, trying to banish the disturbing image. I couldn't escape it, but I had to do everything I could.

Angie pulled on a black hooded sweater. She tucked her long hair into the hood, hiding it away. "If you say so. Are we ready now?" Next she pulled on a worn leather jacket that was much too big for her. She looked no different to me than a small child dressing in her mother's clothes.

"As much as we can ever be. The sun has gone down completely, we should leave soon."

"The front door won't open without the key," she reminded me.

"That's fine. We'll just go out through the attic."

Her soft brown eyes widened. "That's three stories up! How am I supposed to get to the car?"

"I'll carry you."

She looked worried, but I didn't give her a chance to dwell on it. I picked her up and threw her light frame over one shoulder. With my other hand, I scooped up the black duffel bag full of our arsenal and my new sword.

She started to squirm as I unfolded the staircase, but I ignored her protests. I bounded up the stairs and picked through the shattered glass. Large pieces of it lay at odd angles, some even pointing straight up. I kept Angie's fragile limbs clear and leaped off the edge of the roof. We landed lightly on the white gravel and I set her down. I was proud of myself, Angie hadn't received a single scratch. I wasn't used to doing things on my own. Making decisions and following them through was a nice feeling, exhilarating even.

"Never, ever, do that again," Angie said severely. She frowned cutely again. I could see why Gabriel chose to stay here rather than with Nora.

I smiled at her. "All right."

She leaned in close, her eyes somehow darker, maybe even a little dangerous. "Promise me."

"Cross my heart," I said, feeling more than a little intimidated.

We headed to the garage, where Angie recovered the car keys. It was so strange. Just by looking at her, an emotion I had never felt before overcame me. Her dark brown hair had been so richly hued before I had colored it. It was still just as soft, though. When I had brushed it out for her I hadn't wanted to stop. Her brown eyes were so deep, and the way they shone, sparkling even under moonlight.

She was so pretty. No, she was beautiful. She had saved me from dying. She was strong and had so much mercy. I felt such warmth just being around her. She was like an angel.

Another vision hit me like a truck.

Angie was hanging onto a ledge, just under the edge of a rooftop. Gabriel was on the roof, holding his hand out to her, but she wouldn't take it. She scrambled as her grip weakened, then she slipped, falling into darkness.

This is what I had been seeing all night. Angie had died in my head over a dozen times, each a different way. Each time the sick, heavy feeling in my stomach grew more intense.

I couldn't let it happen. I didn't want her to die. I had to do whatever I could to prevent it.

While I was daydreaming, I had packed the car. We both sat in the front seat as Angie drove. "What's the address?"

I pulled out my phone. "I'll put the address on my GPS," I said distantly. I placed the phone on the dash.

"Are you all right?" she asked in concern. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this, especially after everything you've been through."

I managed a tight smile, but couldn't keep it up. "I'm not worried about me," I told her honestly.

"You're worried about me?" She looked surprised, then her expression darkened. "Things don't look too good for me, do they?"

"The situation is not ideal," I hedged.

"I know asking about what's going to happen is pretty much useless. I've seen enough television to know that anything I learn might change my actions, but I'd still die anyway. I just want to know one thing though." She glanced at me briefly. "Do I make it to Nora? Do we square off, face to face, like David planned?"

I didn't know who David was, but I still nodded slowly. "You have a good chance of making it that far."

"Good, that's all I need."

"You have a plan?"

"I plan on not dying." Her eyes narrowed. "All I need to do is get to Gabriel."

As I looked at her, a small feeling of hope started to kindle. She looked so determined... But then I saw her lying on the ground again, that gaping wound on her wrist, and the small flame was doused. "That's the only thing you can do," I said carefully.

I wanted to tell her, but I couldn't. Any small plan I came up with would be ruined if I told her. 

I couldn't tell her that Nora wouldn't be the one to kill her.

  
  


********

  
  


I stopped the car about a block away from Nora's H.Q. "What's the plan of attack?" I asked Callie.

She looked up past the tall buildings, to the night sky. Her blonde hair fell down her back, ending in thick curls. She was wearing some of my clothes, jeans and a T-shirt that said 'Free Hugs'. We were of the same height and build, but they looked better on her than they did on me. I couldn't honestly say that I minded, though.

"We should head up to the roof of a nearby building and make our way to the roof of her building. Nora will have less guards placed up there. She's confident in her ability to influence and does not suspect a vampire might try to attack her." She turned to me. "Once you meet her, how do you plan on not falling under her influence?"

I shrugged. "If she's like Gabriel, then it shouldn't be impossible. I've seen him influence others, but I usually see right through it."

"The more stubborn the individual, the harder it is to take over. Especially if they know it's coming."

"Oh, there's one thing I know I've got. And that's stubbornness in spades." I unlocked the trunk and Callie retrieved the bags. "So which building do we go up?"

"This office building looks promising." She pointed to a building. There was a light on in the front illuminating a guard station, but otherwise it was dark.

"All right. How do we get in?"

"The guard will be regretting those three double lattes he had earlier any second now." Callie gave me a devilish smile.

Sure enough, as we made our way to the glass door, the guard rose from his seat and hurried out of sight. She pushed open the door and held it for me.

"That was future telling, right?" I asked. "You didn't force him to have to pee, right?"

"I'll never tell."

We headed over to the elevators and I thumbed the 'up' button. "I think we make a pretty good team, Callie." I smiled at her.

In the elevator, we opened the duffel bag and geared up. Callie had the claymore strapped to her back. It was so huge compared to her somewhat delicate frame that I wasn't sure if the effect was badass or comical. I strapped the katana at my waist. "You sure you know how to use that?" she asked worriedly.

"Somewhat," I told her. "My brother was into a lot of old samurai films in high school. He set up a kendo club and made me join to attract more members. He used me for practice. A lot." I smiled at her, trying to be reassuring. "I know which end is the sharp one. The only thing I'm worried about is how much faster vampires are. I can't seem to shoot one of you unless you're standing still, and I've only got seven bullets." I patted the holster on my other hip. Great Aunt Katrina's silver revolver was already loaded and waiting. "You just be careful with that broad sword of yours. Our goal is to do as little damage as possible. Once we get to Gabriel, we can defeat Nora. Then Gabriel can influence the other vampires to leave town and go their separate ways. This way, we avoid a massacre in the heart of New York City."

Callie nodded earnestly. "I agree. We must avoid a bloodbath at all costs. We will meet with resistance though."

"Which you look more than capable to handle," I told her.

Her blue eyes sparkled; she looked pleased. "You think so? Of the two of us, my sister was the fighter. The silver sword will be what really gives me an edge."

The elevator stopped and Callie and I headed up to the roof. As soon as we opened the door, a chill gust of wind blew, stinging our faces. I turned up my jacket collar as I stepped out onto the roof. "Let's hurry. I don't like feeling so vulnerable to the elements." I looked up at the sky fearfully, and was glad to see it was clear.

We headed to the edge of the roof. The next rooftop wasn't too far away, and just beyond it was the roof of Nora's building. I reached into a jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of mini binoculars. I had found this little gem in Great Aunt Katrina's desk. It was high powered and I was able to see Nora's roof clearly, especially the shapes moving around on it. "I count three."

"Four." Callie was also looking at the rooftop, though she didn't need binoculars. "Once we jump this roof, they'll see us coming. We'll have to move quickly before one of them contacts Nora."

I nodded, pocketing the binoculars. Callie held her arms out to pick me up. "Can you not throw me over your shoulder this time?" I asked. "We're both girls and I don't want to look ridiculous." She scooped me up in her arms, holding me princess style. "Yeah... This probably looks worse."

"You'll have to stifle your embarrassment," She told me, then jumped easily to the next rooftop. She was running as soon as her feet touched the ground, speeding along the second rooftop. She leaped again and I caught a glimpse of the ground, so far away. I vowed then and there never to look down again.

We hit the roof of Nora's building just as the four vampires were heading for us. Callie set me down quickly as they formed a semi-circle opposing us. Callie hissed, drawing her sword and charging at the first one. She was almost faster than I could see. The sword sang through the air and the first vampire was severed in half at the waist.

I turned my eyes to the others, away from the sudden spray of blood. Two of the vampires were rushing Callie, but the fourth hung back. He reached into his pocket for something.

I drew Katrina's revolver as quickly as I could. I fired at the vampire, hitting his hand and destroying the cellphone he held. He hissed in pain, but didn't attack. Instead he rushed to the door. I held my fire, knowing it would be a waste of bullets to try to hit him while he was moving. I swore as he opened the door and disappeared.

I turned back to Callie and found three dead vampires at her feet. Her eyes glowed bright red and she hissed loudly. Blood stained her shirt and her sword crimson. She stared at the lifeless bodies, her expression vicious.

"Callie!" I called to her. "Snap out of it! We have to go! Now!"

She blinked, and her eyes were back to blue. She nodded and we hurried to the door. She reached it first and hurtled down the stairs. I followed as fast as I could, but she was already out of sight.

I soon found myself in a plushly carpeted hallway. I had no idea where Callie had gone, the hall being empty. Probably all the vampires in the vicinity had chased after her. That left me free to do some investigating.

As I looked around, pondering which door to try, I heard a song playing faintly. I slowly moved toward it. It was a familiar tune, where had I heard it before?

I came up to a door, the song was coming from the other side. I recognized it now. It was "Invincible" by OK Go. Gabriel's ringtone.

I reached for the knob and turned it. It wasn't locked, which really didn't surprise me. Conventional locks wouldn't be a hindrance to a vampire, so why bother in the first place?

I found myself in a small room that held a sofa and a TV. There was another door on the other side. It looked like a waiting room, or a possible guard station.

The song kept playing, the chorus going on and on in an unending loop. I followed it to a large shopping bag next to the sofa. Inside the bag, I found Gabriel's clothes. The cellphone was in the pants pocket.

The caller ID read 'Lucien'. I answered the phone quickly. "David, I'm trying to save Gabriel, I need-"

"He's in the next room. Hurry," he hissed at me.

"Wait, how do you-" The line went dead. I stared at the phone dumbly for a second, but this wasn't the time for questions. I could interrogate David later, after I had gotten Gabriel. I hurried over to the door.

The room it led to was medium-sized, but sparsely furnished. Gabriel laid on his side on a bed in the corner. I hurried over to him, but he was out cold. "Gabriel!" I hissed sharply. "Wake up, I need to get you out of here!" I shook his shoulder, but to no avail. I steeled myself and slapped him hard across the face. My hand stung, making my eyes water, and still he didn't wake.

As a last ditch effort I pulled on my silver glove. I lifted up his shirt and jabbed him hard in the ribs. His flesh seared and he howled as he awoke. I scrambled backward quickly. "Gabriel! We have to go!"

He looked at me, his eyes red in anger. "What the hell do you think you're doing here? How dare you show your face to me?"

"I'm here to rescue you from Nora!" I told him desperately. "She's going to use you to bring a lot of vampires into the city. Let's go!"

He got to his feet, his red eyes glowing with rage. "No more lies, Katrina. I know the truth now. You killed Lucifer, you killed my son!"

I put a hand on my head. My hood had fallen back and I hadn't noticed it. I had little time for horror to sink in before Gabriel attacked.

 


	19. Revenge Served Hot

I jumped back as Gabriel sprang toward me. I hurriedly drew my katana, holding it up defensively. He paused, sizing me up warily. “Gabriel, I didn’t come here to hurt you,” I warned.

He laughed harshly, then reached out. In the blink of an eye he disarmed me, holding the katana behind his back. With his other hand, he grasped my jaw and lifted me up. “Such a vulgar weapon doesn’t suit you, Katrina.”

“I’m... not... Katrina,” I said with difficulty. I held onto his arm with both hands as he continued to lift me up. I couldn’t make him release me, but my toes were skimming the carpet and I needed to support myself with something other than my neck. “I’m... Angie.”

His red eyes were hard and cold. “I don’t know an Angie,” he said, then threw me aside.

I landed on a sofa chair, both hands on my aching jaw. “This is Nora’s work,” I said ruefully. “She’s brainwashed you already.” I was too late, but I should have seen this coming. Of course she would put him under her control as soon as possible. “You're so stubborn with me. I thought you would have held out against her a bit longer...”

Gabriel held up the katana, inspecting the blade without touching it. He turned and advanced. “This won’t be quick, Katrina, just so you know. You deserve a long, painful death. For Lucifer.”

“You’re such an idiot,” I said in annoyance. It was odd. I knew that I was going to die, but the fear just drained out of me. I was so tired. Tired of babysitting a vampire, tired of being drawn into vampire relationships, and tired of being confused for my great aunt. “You forgot all about how Great Aunt Katrina helped you, after you went to her and begged her. You even forgot why!”

He stopped his advancement. “What kind of madness are you spewing now?”

“I’m not Katrina!” I shouted at him. “She wasted her whole life on you! Hunting you down, learning everything about you that she could! Then she wasted her old age making sure you were safe the only way she knew how! She’s dead and left you with the only person stupid enough to take the job! And then you just forget everything and go along with the first thing someone tells you!” Hot, angry tears welled up in my eyes.

Gabriel loomed over me, blocking out the light overhead, his face dark. The silver blade seemed to glow in his hand. “Katrina is not so frail as to cry in front of me. Who are you? What did I forget?”

Tears burned tracks down my cheeks. “It’s me, Angie. You hate me, remember?” I took a deep breath. “And you forgot the night that Lucifer died.”

He held the blade up and pressed the tip into my chest. I could feel the sharp point cutting through the thick fabric of my sweater. “Tell me.”

I scrubbed my cheeks with my sleeves. “It was Nora. She killed him.”

Light exploded on the side of my face. Pain lanced through my cheek and made me cry out. The force of it knocked me out of the chair and I tumbled onto the floor. I sat up, clutching the throbbing ache. I blinked up at Gabriel though fresh tears, realizing he had smacked me with the flat of the sword.

“It’s the truth!” I shouted, reaching into my pocket. “You told everything to Katrina and she wrote it all in her journal. You wanted to get away. You weren’t sure about Nora or her intentions, or even yourself. Lucifer wanted to go with you, but Nora stopped him.” I got to my feet shakily as he stepped closer. “She killed him and you ran away!”

He paused, the sword tip wavered. I took my opportunity, closing the gap between us, spare just six inches. “You were so horrified that you couldn’t accept it. You wanted to kill Nora for what she had done, but you still loved her too much. You went to Katrina and begged her to kill you.” I kept my voice steady.

I was close enough now that I could see his eyes. The bright red glow had dulled to the color of burnt embers. They were wide as horror crept over him. The sword began to shake in his hand. “No.” He shook his head. “Nora would never do that. Not to her own son.”

“She did,” I told him firmly, having no time for tenderness. “Katrina brought you that box and you crawled into it. She stayed with you and watched over you ever since then.”

He gripped the sword so tightly that the leather binding the hilt creaked in protest. He shook his head again. “No, I don’t believe it.”

Anger boiled inside of me. He was running away, again! Running away from the truth of what happened. Katrina had suffered so much because of him, and he couldn’t even acknowledge his own truth. “She was so much stronger than you,” I said bitterly as I pulled my hand out of my pocket. I had managed to squirm it into the silver glove. I pulled my hand back and punched Gabriel as hard as I could across the jaw.

He flew backward, landing on the bed. I bent down and retrieved the katana off the floor, sheathing it before walking over to him. He sat up on his elbows, staring at me in utter shock. “Listen to me, you’re coming with me if I have to drag you,” I growled at him. “And if you don’t get your crap together, I will put you back in that box and bury it so deep you’ll never breathe fresh air again.”

The silver glove had burned his cheek and left a nasty gash, but it healed quickly. His eyes became clearer, recognition dawning. “Evangeline, when did you grow a spine?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t start with me. I’m only doing this for Katrina.” He got to his feet and I turned to the door.

I felt a small pressure at the base of my spine, then my sword belt slipped. Before I could grab it, he grasped the sheath and belt. He fastened it around his own waist, then stepped ahead of me. “There is something I have to do.” He reached back and took my hand firmly in his. “Come on.” He half dragged me out the door.

I followed him, half running just to keep up with his swift walk. I watched his back, the lines of it were tensed. A muscle in his jaw pulsed. We reached the end of the hallway and it forked into two paths. Gabriel took the left one without hesitation. I had no choice but to trust that he knew where we were going.

He stopped at the bottom of a staircase that lead up to the roof exit. I looked up the stairs warily. The door was open, but I heard no sound. “She’s up there?”

He didn’t ask whom I meant. “Yes,” he said tightly. “Come on.” He started dragging me up the stairs.

“Maybe I should wait down here...”

“I need you with me,” he said tightly without looking at me. “You’ve come this far, are you going to desert me right before the end?”

My heart skipped a beat. “I guess not,” I said softly.

We were up the stairs and onto the roof all too quickly. It was completely deserted except for one slim shape, her back turned to us.

Nora held her hands clasped behind her. A light breeze played with her long hair. “I can smell the bloodlust coming off of you,” she said softly. “You’re full of my blood, yet you still betray me. Again?”

“You lied to me, Nora. You killed Lucifer, your own son. I remember everything now.” I looked over at him, his expression was unsure. I could tell he didn’t fully remember, but the truth was just under the surface and he knew it.

“What do you remember?” Her voice lowered dangerously.

“I wanted to leave,” he said firmly. “You tried to make me stay.”

“Why did you want to leave?”

He closed his eyes for a moment, mentally preparing himself. “I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn’t just another one of your pawns.”

I wasn’t sure what exactly I was supposed to be doing at that moment, so I stayed silent and squeezed his hand reassuringly. This was his fight, whether he chose to go through with it or not.

Gabriel opened his eyes, but didn’t look back at me. His gaze was locked on his wife. “Lucifer sided with me, like he always did. Things became violent, and you killed him.” I could sense the gaping holes in his story. I felt he was holding the details back deliberately, perhaps because they were so painful.

Nora turned. Her eyes fell on me first, then widened with shock. I dropped Gabriel’s hand and took a wary step back. My hand was already going to my holster.

“I should have known.” Her voice rose. “It’s always you, isn’t it? No matter how many decades go by, I can never be rid of you!” She sprang forward, faster than any other vampire I had seen so far. She covered the length of the rooftop before I could even draw Katrina’s revolver. She instantly threw herself at me.

Gabriel was frozen, not offering assistance or resistance. Nora and I fell rearward, bouncing and rolling, right to the edge of the roof and over into blackness.

As soon as I felt the ground disappear under me, I panicked. Nora pushed herself away from me as I scrambled for something to grab onto. I seized onto a ledge a couple of feet below the edge of the roof. My legs hit the side of the building and pain exploded from my kneecap.

“Evangeline, up here,” Gabriel called from above me.

I looked up. He was at the edge of the roof, reaching one hand down to me, but just a few inches short. My arms were supporting all of my weight. I tried to find some purchase for my feet, but there was nothing but slick glass. “I can’t,” I gasped with effort.

“You have to. Don’t look down, but Nora’s below you, and she’s coming up quickly.”

I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t look down. “I can’t.” I shook my head. “Come and get me.”

“Just take my hand! It’s right in front of you. Just try!” There was panic in his voice.

I opened my eyes, focusing on his hand. He was leaning out as far as he could. I summoned up all of my strength, pushing against the glass with my feet. I thrust myself upwards, reaching out with one hand.

My fingertips just grazed his, then I was falling backwards. Gabriel pushed forward and grabbed my wrist. He lost his grip in the process, his legs slipping off the edge. His claws dug grooves into the ledge, but our descent stopped. He hauled me up to the rooftop quickly, pushing me over the edge and climbing up after. My knee was battered, and I couldn’t hold myself up. He grabbed my wrist again and hauled me upright.

I leaned against him as adrenaline made my heart race. Relief spread through my body. “Thank you,” I gasped, looking into his face.

His grip on my wrist tightened. Behind us, I could hear something scrabbling up the building. “Nora's coming,” he said, his gaze on my face.

“Goodbye, Evangeline.”

His eyes were unapologetic.

Sensing danger, I tried to pull away from him. He brought my wrist to my mouth and sank his teeth into the tender underside. I cried out in pain as his fangs tore through my skin. A wave of weakness washed over me, my legs buckling automatically. Gabriel held me up by my wrist as he drank greedily. When he pulled his mouth away, he turned and didn’t look at me as he threw me to the side.

I landed on the ground in a heap. I couldn’t move. I could only watch as he drew the katana, readying himself to face Nora.

She pulled herself over the edge of the rooftop and leaped like a cat. Gabriel brought the sword up and slashed at her, missing by a hair. She landed behind him and he quickly spun around. All trace of beauty, or even humanity, was gone from her features. She crouched down on all fours, her eyes glowing bright red. She shrieked like a wolverine and launched herself at him again.

If she were calm, she would have been able to use her lightning to attack from a distance, but she had lost her grip on rational thought. Her only goal was to try to hurt Gabriel as much as possible. As I lay on the ground, my life draining away from me, tears leaked out of my eyes. She really was pitiful. All of the power she held, the lies she told, and the pain she caused just to hide the wretched thing she was inside.

Gabriel hit the ground when she tackled him, thrusting the katana through her chest in the process. He held onto her shoulder with his free hand, keeping her in place as she writhed. “I’m sorry, Nora,” his voice broke. Her struggles grew slower, feebler. Her head began to droop. Gabriel let go of the katana. He reached up and placed his hands on her cheeks. “I’m so sorry...”

She jerked suddenly and hissed. She pulled herself forward, sword still buried deep in her chest, her fangs exposed. She gripped his shoulders with her claws. She lunged teeth first, aiming for his neck.

He reacted quickly, bringing his legs up and throwing Nora off of him. She flew over him, then pitched off the edge of the roof. A strangled scream ripped from her throat as she fell, dying quickly.

Gabriel lay on his back, looking up at the sky. He placed his palms over his eyes, grimacing against a pain that ripped through his heart. His body shook as he cried without tears, his legs bent. An agonized wail ripped itself from his throat.

My vision blurred, but it wasn’t from my own tears. I was losing touch with my surroundings, sinking into darkness. I could feel my life ebbing away. I didn’t have time to feel frightened. Everything went dark. I knew nothing more.

  
  


********

  
  


“How can I get her to breathe?” Callie’s voice was high and desperate.

“Leave her alone. She’s dead.” Gabriel sounded utterly defeated.

“Just shut up! This is all your fault!”

“... I know.”

I felt pressure on my chest, quick compressions of my ribcage. Then a cold mouth covered mine, forcing air into my lungs. Then came the compressions again.

My body was still, lifeless. I was disconnected from it, my brain slow to die from the lack of oxygen. I could feel my consciousness floating away.

“She still has a pulse, but it’s so faint. Angie, please breathe!” Callie begged. One of her compressions was a little too hard, I felt a lance of pain in my ribcage, followed by a snap.

The pain set fire to my brain, burning away the cobwebs. My body struggled for breath. Callie breathed life into my lungs again and I accepted it gratefully. The next breath I drew in was my own, and the pain of it nearly killed me all over again. I coughed and retched, doubling up on myself. My whole body shook and the pain in my chest was unbearable. Strong hands lifted me up, assisting me. “She’s alive!”

I was being held up in a sitting position. Breathing came a little easier, but each inhalation brought fresh pain.

Gabriel sat about a foot away from the edge of the roof, staring out into the night. “Wonderful,” he said dully.

I leaned my head on Callie’s shoulder, too weak to hold it up on my own. She held me gently, as if I might shatter. “Don’t worry Angie, we’re going to get you to a hospital right away. Just keep breathing.”

I concentrated on keeping air in my lungs as Callie carried me to the next rooftop. Gabriel got to his feet as well and followed us, his face expressionless. Darkness flooded my vision again as I slipped back into unconsciousness.

  
  


********

  
  


_In an alley far below the excitement on the roof, I stood in the shadows and waited. Nora had fallen down into this alley, a silver sword through her chest. She lay on the concrete now, her body broken._

_I didn’t have to wait long. After a few moments, she stirred. She reached up and grasped the sword. Her arms were too short to reach the hilt, so she had to hold the naked silver blade. Slowly, painfully, she pulled the sword out of her chest._

_She struggled to her feet, her broken legs healing as she did. I stepped forward. “How does it feel?” I asked softly. “Dying, I mean.”_

_She turned, her eyes widening when she saw me. “What are you doing here?”_

“ _I’ve brought you a present.” I gestured to my side, which was still in shadow. A low hiss emanated from the darkness._

_She took a fearful step back. “Why are you here? Why are you doing this?” she asked, panic creeping into her voice._

“ _Because you deserve it, Mother,” I said without remorse. “You killed Lucifer, the only person who ever took care of me.”_

“ _Lucien, I love you. You have to know that.” Nora continued to back away from me. She looked around furtively, trying to find an escape route._

“ _I’m sorry, but in order to love someone, you have to have a heart.” I turned to the figure in the shadows. “I created her just for you, Mother. She’s still so young... even the streetlights hurt her eyes. Still, I felt it was... fitting.”_

_There was a flash of red as the figure ran out of the shadows. She overtook her quarry immediately. Nora shrieked in terror, but was quickly silenced. Blood splattered on the concrete._

_I pulled my cellphone from my pocket, putting it to my ear. “Calypso,” I said aloud, then it dialed._

“ _Lucien, Angie’s still alive,” Calypso said as soon as she picked up the phone. “I was wrong, I managed to save her. Isn’t that wonderful?” Her voice was high-pitched with pride and delight._

“ _That’s very good,” I said politely. “Where are you now?”_

“ _A hospital. I don’t know which one. Angie’s getting a transfusion.”_

_I turned away as my creature began to feed on Nora’s lifeless form. She was too young to be neat. “When you see her again, tell Miss Statton that her work is done.” I kept my tone neutral._

“ _Everything worked out all right, then?”_

“ _Indeed. She fell exactly where you said she would. Everything went according to plan. I couldn’t have done any of this without you, Calypso. Thank you.”_

“ _I didn’t really do anything.”_

_I smiled softly. “You did very well. I have to go now, but I’ll keep in touch if I need you again.”_

“ _All right. Goodbye Lucien.” She hesitated. “Please be careful. Your new friend is dangerous.”_

“ _I know.” I hung up the phone and turned back to the scene in the alley. She had finished feasting and was growing restless, eying the crowded street far down the end of the alley. “Come, we should get you indoors and safely hidden away. The world isn’t quite ready for you yet.”_


	20. End of the Beginning

I awoke as the bedroom door opened. Callie stepped over to the bed, a tray in her hands. “Can you sit up on your own?” she asked gently.

I decided to try, and was surprised to discover that I could indeed sit up under my own power. “What’s all this?” I asked as she set the tray down in front of me.

“I made you some chicken soup. I can’t taste human food, but I followed the instructions very carefully.”

I dipped the provided spoon in the bowl, taking in some of the liquid. I blew on it a little, then tasted it. I smiled at her. “Best canned soup I’ve ever had.”

“You’re just saying that.” She sat down cross-legged on the floor next to the bed and gave me a worried look. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got hit by a bus,” I answered before taking another sip of soup.

“The doctor said you’ll be weak for a few days, and to take it easy. Your knee’s not broken, but it is swollen, and the rib will heal on its own.” Callie gestured to a glass of orange juice on the tray. “She also said to get plenty of vitamin C.”

I lifted the glass and drank dutifully. My hand shook with the effort of lifting the glass, but I managed not to spill it. I set it down and went back to the soup, which right now tasted better than anything else in the whole world.

Callie reached up took a lock of my hair between her fingers, scrutinizing the color. “How did the hair thing turn out?” she asked. “Did it work, or backfire horribly?”

“Kinda both?” I said around a mouthful of chicken and noodles.

She dropped my hair and made a frustrated sound, banging her hands on the floor. “Oh, I can’t take it anymore! I’m going to kill him for doing this to you! I’ll stake him right through the heart!” She got to her feet. “I’m going to go make him apologize right now!”

“Callie, don’t,” I said quietly, staring down at my half empty soup bowl.

She stopped at the door and whirled around. “Why? He should apologize for what he did! You went there to save him and he nearly killed you!” She thought wildly. "It's impolite!"

I put the spoon back down on the tray. “He doesn’t have to apologize, I know why he did it. Besides, he's already hurting enough. It's not like he's got a spare thought for me after killing his wife.”

She was back at my side in an instant, putting a tender hand on my shoulder. “Are you crying? I’m sorry...”

I looked up before the tear sliding down my cheek could fall into my bowl. “I remember what you were telling me about Nora, how she was using her own blood to influence Gabriel. She said almost the same thing on the rooftop, that she was surprised he would betray her when he was full of her blood.”

“He was able to fight it. Gabriel’s strong.”

I shook my head. “He couldn’t, and he knew that. He needed fresh blood to dilute Nora’s poison. That’s why he brought me up to the roof with him. He told me himself that he needed me.” I remembered how my heart had stuttered when he took my hand. I closed my eyes to block the memory out. “Now I know why.”

“That still doesn’t excuse him!” she protested. “He didn’t think of your feelings at all!”

I smiled weakly. “He didn’t have to bring me up to the roof. He could have killed me down in his room, then gone up to fight Nora. I’m slower and weaker than he is, so I was just a burden to him alive.” She frowned in frustration and I continued. “He didn’t want to kill me unless he had to. He tried to overcome her influence on his own first. When he knew for sure that he couldn’t, he...” My voice trailed off as the memory flashed behind my eyes. I put my hand to my wrist. It was wrapped neatly in gauze.

Callie threw her arms around my shoulders, leaning her head against mine. “He is still completely terrible. He should have been gentler with you, then it would have been easier to rescue you. I won’t let him do anything like that to you ever again.”

I smiled wanly. “Oh? You're planning on staying with me?”

“Of course. I love you,” she said, pulling her head away to look at my face.

I laughed lightly. “I see.”

“I do!” she said earnestly. “You’re strong, and brave, and so completely stubborn.”

I covered my mouth with my hand to stop myself from laughing more. My chest hurt from the effort, and the cracked rib. “Thanks, I think.”

“You saved my life. You’re also kind, and really cute,” she added.

I gave her a long look as my laughter subsided. “I can't return your feelings but I’m definitely going to miss you, Callie,” I told her honestly.

“What do you mean?” Her face fell. “Oh. You’re leaving.”

  
  


********

  
  


I made my way downstairs, holding onto the railing firmly. Gabriel sat on the couch, watching the fireplace. There had been a roaring fire there an hour ago, but no one had tended it and it was burning itself out.

He didn’t turn to me, or look up, or give any indication he acknowledged my presence. “How are you holding up?” I asked.

“I'm not,” he said dully.

“I just wanted to let you know that I’m all right. The doctor said there was no permanent damage.”

“All right.”

I hesitated, not used to talking to Gabriel like this. For the past week we hadn't been able to say two words to each other without bickering. “David called me a little while ago. I’m all done.”

He stirred, but didn’t turn away from the fireplace. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t have to stay here anymore. My contract expired on Nora’s death. I get control of the house and the assets, but I don’t have to live here." I paused.

"I’m not your Caretaker anymore, Gabriel.”

He was silent for a long moment. Then he seemed to gather himself a little. “I see.”

“I think I’ll leave the house to you. Callie too. I promised her she could stay here 'til she was back on her feet. I told her to keep you out of trouble. A friend of mine has a building in the city, and I can afford the rent now, so...” I trailed off.

“That’s probably for the best,” he said. I was starting to feel frustrated. I understood that he was in a lot of pain, but after everything he'd put me through, couldn't he just _look_ at me? Shouldn't he be overjoyed that I wasn't going to be annoying him anymore?

“Fine then,” I said, finding it hard to keep my voice calm. My hands were starting to shake. It was time for me to get out of there. “I’m going to go get my things ready.” I headed back to the stairs.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his head turn to me, but I was past caring.

I headed upstairs and back to the guest room, which was my room no longer.

  
  


********

  
  


_Calypso pounced as soon as Evangeline returned to her room to pack. “You cannot let her leave,” she said as she took a seat on the couch next to me. I could feel her blue eyes boring into the side of my head._

“ _Of course I can,” I said indifferently. “If she wants to go, then just let her go.”_

_I glanced at her briefly. She wore a calculating look that unnerved me. “She doesn't want to go.”_

“ _If she didn't want to go, then she would stay,” I pointed out. “If you want to be around her so badly, then just go with her.” If they both left, I could finally rest in misery._

_She closed her eyes and her lips started moving silently. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye again. What on Earth was she doing? She opened her eyes again after a moment. “No, that won't work. The only place I can be with her is here."_

_"How do you know if you don't try?"_

_"I know. I know everything that will happen, especially if it concerns Angie. Lucien’s had me tuned into her for months."_

_"Are you saying you can see the future?" This piqued my interest. I hadn't met a clairvoyant in at least a century. “And my son hired you?” This must have been why Lucien was so sure Evangeline would be the one to protect me from Nora._

_"I can see the future, but I'm going to warn you now that there's no use in trying to steal my ability. It won't work right for anyone but me. That’s why Lucien had to hire me instead of just taking my power for himself."_

_"How do I know you're not lying?"_

_She rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Can we please talk about Angie? You can try to steal my blood at a later time."_

_"What is there to talk about?” I shrugged. “Let her go. Let her get on with her life."_

_"No. She doesn't want to go."_

_Finally I turned my head to her. "Why do you keep saying that?"_

_She placed both hands on the cushion in front of her, her eyes determined. "Because it's the truth. She wants to stay here with us."_

_"After everything that's happened during the past week, I highly doubt that. Let her go back to her family, her school, her friends, whatever it was she was doing before we nearly killed her."_

_I felt a fresh pang of guilt in my chest. It was sharp compared to the dull ache of remorse that spread throughout my body after killing Nora._

_I had spent fifty years in that box because I hadn't wanted to kill the only woman I'd ever loved, the mother of my sons. In the end, it hadn't changed a damn thing. I'd done it anyway. And it hurt._

_But it hadn't destroyed me. Fifty years ago, it would have._

_Fifty years ago, killing one small, annoying human would have been nothing to me. I wouldn't have given it any thought._

_And yet this one time nagged me. Not much, but enough to be noticed._

_What had Katrina done to me? Had she really killed me with time like she planned? Was I different now? There was still so much that I didn't remember._

_"Would you believe that going back to her old life would be worse for her?" Callie asked quietly._

_Both of my eyebrows raised. "That can't be even remotely true. What could possibly be worse than almost being murdered by a vampire on a rooftop?" I looked over at the stairs. "She's not a hunter like Katrina. She can't just shrug that off."_

_"She ran away from something by coming here. I'm not sure what at this point, but I can see the shadows on the road behind her.” Her expression saddened._

“ _So?” I spread my hands out as I shrugged. “Do you expect me to care? Because I don’t.”_

“ _Yeah, I know you don’t. But she still saved your worthless hide, and not because she was hired to. She doesn’t even like you.” Calypso frowned. “She did it because she’s a good person. And you owe her.” I could feel my expression souring. “You don’t like owing people, especially humans, do you?”_

“ _So I’ll buy her one of those mobile phones with the big screens they sell on the television,” I said irritably. “Just leave me alone.”_

_She sighed in exasperation. “Is that how much your life is worth? The price of a cell phone?”_

“ _She might be getting the better end of the deal, actually.”_

“ _Why do you have to be so stubborn? Why can’t you just ask her to stay?” She was whining now and it was grating on my final nerve._

“ _Because I don’t want her to!” I exclaimed loudly._

_There was a loud thumping noise that went down the stairs. We both looked over and saw a heavy duffel bag hit the floor. Evangeline followed after it. “Sorry about that. I didn’t feel like carrying it down the stairs.” She nudged the bag with her toe, as if checking for signs of life, before slowly bending down to pick it up._

“ _No, you shouldn’t be lifting heavy things!” Calypso exclaimed, jumping to her feet._

“ _I’ll be fine, it’s not that heavy.” She had one hand on her ribcage as she stretched the other one out to the strap. Her face contorted with discomfort. “Just give me a sec…”_

“ _No way. Have Gabriel carry that out to the car for you.” Calypso gave me a loaded look._

_I looked to the ceiling briefly before standing up. Anything to move this along more quickly. “Go start the car, I’ll bring this out.” I scooped up the bag easily._

_She straightened up, looking uncertain. “Can you get the box up at the top of the stairs, too?” she asked meekly. “I wanted to bring some of Katrina’s stuff with me, to give Grandma Alice.”_

_I put down the bag. “That’s fine. Go on ahead.” I climbed up the stairs and retrieved the medium-sized cardboard box._

_When I reached the bottom again, Evangeline was gone and Calypso was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. “You’re not going to let her leave,” she stated._

“ _Of course I am.”_

_Her eyes hardened to blue marbles. “No, you won’t. Because, if you do, I will make your life miserable for every second of every day.”_

_I leaned close to her. “I could just kill you.”_

_She leaned in as well, challenging me. “You won’t. Trust me, I know.”_

_We stared at each other for a long moment, each waiting for the other to look away first. Only the strongest will would win this battle._

  
  


******

  
  


I waited next to the car for what felt like an eternity. I stared at the front door, which I had propped open so it wouldn’t lock the vampires inside. Finally Gabriel stepped out. He was empty-handed.

“Where’s my stuff?” I asked in confusion.

“Get back in the house,” he said irritably. “Now.”

“What?” He was walking toward me and I took a step back. Alarm bells rang through my head.

“Just do it. Go.” He stopped a few feet away and pointed back at the door. “Go and recuperate, or whatever it is that you do.”

“Please tell me this is your antisocial way of asking me to stay and not a threat,” I said quickly. “I don’t have the energy to kick your ass right now.”

“I’m not asking you to stay.” His voice was a low growl coming from between clenched teeth. “I’m telling you to go back inside the house.”

I stood my ground, even though I had no idea what was going on anymore. I fidgeted with my fingers. “Why?”

“Because if you leave, I’m just going to go and bring you back. I’d rather save myself the effort.”

“Why would you do that? You don’t even like me.”

He muttered something low, turning his face to the side.

“What was that?”

He looked up at the night sky. “Because it’s your house,” he said louder. “Technically. On paper.”

“Legally, you mean,” I corrected him. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“This is your home, if you want it to be.” His voice sounded like he was dragging the words out, as if each one was digging its heels in his throat. “If you have **nowhere** else to go. **At all**.”

I thought of why I’d left my old home, my old school, in the first place. A shiver went through me. Could I really go back to where everyone knew me?

I held onto my bandaged wrist with one hand and looked to the side. I let out a long sigh.

"About what happened up on the roof..." he began.

My eyes widened, but I didn’t look at him. He paused a moment, picking his words. "If anyone else had been up there with us, things would have gone differently. I didn't mean to..." he trailed off, then started again. "You didn't have to come and get me, and I just..."

"It's okay," I told him. "I don't blame you for what you did."

“No, it’s not okay. You should've let me have it by now."

"You want me to be angry with you?"

"Of course not!" he snapped. "But you're supposed to be angry, that's all. A normal person would be."

"I think the fact that I'm still standing here right now can attest to how normal I am," I said wryly. "It's fine, I'll heal." I glanced over at him. He wore a deep frown. "Perhaps you're just looking for a distraction from something that hurts more. After all, you only injured me."

He gritted his teeth and I could see the tips of his fangs. We both stood there in silence for what felt like eternity.

"Look, if you need to talk about it..." I said gently.

He clenched one hand into a fist at his side. "No, this is my problem. I'll deal with it. Go back inside before Calypso explodes."

I looked up at the dark, huge house in the middle of a sea of white gravel. The moon was bright and full overhead, highlighting the lone tower and the shattered roof.

"Well, at least I won't be bored," I said as I resigned myself. I walked past him, to the door, then paused briefly. “If you change your mind about talking…”

“You’re too gentle for your own good, Evangeline,” he warned. “It almost got you killed twice this week.”

I shrugged. “I can’t not be me.” I continued on to the house. My house.

My home.


End file.
